


Unlikely is an Understatement

by Pureblood_Slytherin



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Drama, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-07 08:25:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 82,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11619732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pureblood_Slytherin/pseuds/Pureblood_Slytherin
Summary: AU. The Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance have to join forces to fight a common enemy.





	1. Prologue

A/N: Hello guys. First of all, this story is a translation of my German fanfiction with the same title. So if some sentences sound weird, you know why. Anyway, I wrote this fanfiction years ago, because I couldn't understand why Leia ALWAYS ended up with Han Solo. And that in a fanfiction continuum in which one can easily find pairings like Padmé/Mace or Padmé/ Obi-Wan. Nevertheless, Leia always seemed to be the most faithful girlfriend in the galaxy. I never thought of Han as the most attractive male character in the Star Wars Universe, so I really couldn't understand it. At first I simply waited, hoping that (with more than 25,000 Star Wars fanfictions at ffNET) at some point somebody would write a fanfiction in which Leia would reconsider, but nothing happened. Thus, I had no choice: I had to write a fanfiction myself.

Disclaimer: All trademarks and characters are owned by George Lucas and I'm not intending to gain profit from writing this story. Enjoy!

Unlikely is an understatement

* Prologue *

Leia looked at Luke. There was more. She could see it in his eyes. He was afraid of something and afraid to trust her.

"Luke, what's going on?"

Luke looked nervously up at the sky. "Vader ... He's here. Here, on this moon. "

The princess took a step back. "How do you know?"

Skywalker slowly took her hand and searched her eyes. "I can feel it. He came for me. He senses my presence as I do his. This is also the reason why I must leave. As long as I stay here, I am endangering the group and our mission here ... I have to face him - alone."

Leia did not understand and shook her head vehemently.

"But why?"

With closed eyes Luke held the Princess's shoulders, as if he was afraid of losing her forever. But he had to say it, now. He could not withhold the truth forever.

"He is my father."

"Your father?"

"Yes, and that's not all. It will not be easy for you to learn all this, but you have to. Leia, if I do not return, you're the only hope for the Alliance."

Leia freed herself from her friend's embrace once she realized the meaning behind his words.

"Luke, don't talk that way. You have a power I don't understand and could never have."

"You're wrong, Leia. You have that power too. In time you'll learn to use it as I have. The Force runs strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And... my sister has it. Yes. It's you, Leia. "

She stared at him in bewilderment. Was it possible? Her brother? Luke? Vader ... her father? Everything seemed to fit suddenly. It was as if the last part of a complex puzzle had finally found its place, and for the first time an image appeared. But if it was true, then ...

"Yes, Leia, you're my sister."

Leia briefly shut her eyes from the truth, but without success, as the truth is something that is inescapable.

"I know. Somehow I've already known." Yes, she had always known. Known since the very first second in which he had entered her cell to rescue her. She had known –somehow- and had trusted him unconditionally ever since.

Hi, I'm Luke Skywalker!

Who?

Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you.

"Then you know why I have to go to him."

"No!" Leia jumped. Go to him? Had he lost his mind? She knew what Vader was capable of. At the mere thought of the first Death Star a cold shiver ran down her spine. Vader was a killer and she was not going to lose her newly found brother to him.

"No, Luke! Run! Run as far away as you can! If he can really feel your presence, you have to avoid him!"

"I know there's still good in him, Leia. I ... "

"I will not allow you to sacrifice your life for nothing! Vader is a killer. Please, remember Bespin. And now you want to fight Vader and the Emperor at the same time? Luke, I beg you ... be reasonable."

Leia cupped his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. "We need you. Alive. You're the only one who can stop the Emperor, but not here, not now. Can't you see that, brother? Without you, the Alliance is lost." Luke's thoughts were in chaos. What if Leia was right? Was it not presumptuous of him to assume that he alone could accomplish what hundreds of Jedi before him could not? Then he looked at his sister again and nodded. She was right. As always. He had to leave Endor.

…

ONE YEAR LATER

The battle of Endor signified a tremendous blow to the Rebel Alliance. Heavy losses were taken, and the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, now spreads terror throughout the galaxy.

Lord Vader looked past the transparent pane and at the man behind it.

"You mean to say the host is still alive?"

The man in white pointed to the almost transparent human body.

"Indeed. It's quite logical as the parasite feeds on the host. Look here, my Lord. The larva eats muscle and fat first. It spares all the vital organs until the very end."

Lord Vader turned his attention back to the "man" behind the glass. "What will happen to him?"

The doctor shook his head.

"He lives purely on a physical level. His mind shut down a long time ago. But the really frightening thing is how slow and painful the process is. In a way he's being eaten alive - from the inside out."

Lord Vader remained silent for a while. "I see. Burn the body before this thing hatches."

The doctor bowed in reply as the two men left the observation room. "Certainly, my Lord, but do you not want me to try the vaccine once more?"

The Sith Lord tilted his head. " That will not be necessary. It proved unsuccessful in much earlier stages." The doctor seemed to think about other possibilities.

"What about a hybrid program?" he suggested, but the Sith refused.

"A hybrid program would take years, doctor and even if we were to succeed, we cannot genetically modify the entire human race. I also refuse to see the future of this galaxy in a genetic intersection with the Waarom. In fact, I had a slightly more permanent solution in mind."

The doctor smiled knowingly.

"Of course, my Lord."

A/N: In my original story the invading aliens were the Vong. But as I have absolutely NO IDEA about the Vong, I changed them into the `Waarom´ in this translation. My Waarom are some kind of mixture of all the different aliens I know from other TV series and movies. For one the Stargate Atlantis Wraith (who feed on humans too) but my aliens also need humans to come into being in first place, as they start their lives as larvae (a bit like in `Aliens´). Moreover, they are like the aliens from Independence Day, who just invade other galaxies, steel their resources and then move on. And finally they are naturally also a bit like the Vong, as you'll see in the upcoming chapters.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	2. Alliances

Lord Vader knelt down on the black holo transceiver platform and when it finally came to life, it displayed an oversized, bluish image of the Emperor, who in turn looked down on his most loyal servant.

"I hope you have good news, my friend." The sinister voice of the Emperor was reflected by the hard durasteel walls of the Super Star Destroyer and echoed viciously through the room.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my master. The vaccine against the Waarom larvae is useless and the biological weapons against their coral ships are not fully developed yet. The Dalonbian sector will fall. Probably within the next forty-eight hours. With your permission, my master, I will order the evacuation of all imperial personal. "

The Emperor punished his student with silence.

"Proposals, Lord Vader?"

"I'm not sure, my Emperor." The Dark Lord indeed had a plan; but it was unlikely that it would find the Emperor's approval. It was rather `unconventional´ after all.

"I'm not willing to lose my Empire to these things, Lord Vader. If you see a solution for this problem, tell me."

Vader hesitated, but then gave in to his master's request. "I propose the annexation of the Unity Fleet to my Death Squadron. I need him here. For the guidance of my troops in the north and for ... amnesty negotiations with the Rebel Alliance."

The face of the Emperor did not betray any emotion, but his voice sounded slightly amused.

"Amnesty negotiations with the Rebel Alliance, Lord Vader? This proposal borders on treason. Most people would die for such a bold suggestion."

Vader titled his head. "I am aware, my Emperor."

Palpatine uttered a humorless laugh. "Nevertheless, your plan has aroused my curiosity."

Vader looked at the image of his master and tried to see what lay underneath the impenetrable mask. Was it possible? ...

"You do not cease to amaze me, my old friend. Yes ... amnesty negotiations ... it might convince them."

"The war against the Waarom cannot be won if we lose valuable resources in a civil war. Their ships would be a most welcome reinforcement to our fleet. "

"Arise, Lord Vader. Yes, a two-front war is never advisable. You have permission to call the Unity Fleet to the Core to realize your plan. "

Vader bowed once more before the Emperor. "Thank you, my master."

The dark figure was about to leave the projector platform, as the Emperor's broke the silence once more.

"Lord Vader?" The dark Lord paused and turned to the projection of his master.

"Yes, my Emperor?"

"It is my Death Squadron and they are my troops. It would advise you not to forget this."

"Forgive me, my Emperor. They are, of course, your troops. "

**PP**

Being the commander of an imperial fleet had its privileges, Grand Admiral Thrawn thought and allowed himself the hint of a smile.

"Cadet Schraad, the caf please." The red-haired crew member seemed to be more than a little nervous when she handed him the steaming hot cup with trembling hands. Oh dear, that one was probably freshly recruited.

"Thank you."

Thrawn took the cup, raised it to his lips and took a cautious sip. It was a horrible human habit, still he had gotten used it - and now nothing else could replace it.

Once Cadet Schraad had left the room, Grand Admiral Thrawn walked over to his desk and slowly sat down, the warm cup in his hands.

Being the commander of an imperial fleet, unfortunately, also had its disadvantages, he realized with a hint of resignation as his gaze fell onto the piles of data chips lying before him. Sometimes it felt as if he had to take care of everything himself, from the most recent inventory list, over the TIE-fighter performance, to the report on the radiation storms and how they affected their shields.

Suddenly a whistle was heard from the ship's internal speakers.

"Thrawn here."

"Sir, Lord Vader on channel 1.3."

Lord Vader? And there he had thought the day couldn't get any worse. "Put him through immediately."

Thrawn enjoyed the caf's scent once more, his eyes closed. Knowing his Lordship, this might very well be the last comfort of the day.

"Admiral?" Vader's black mask filled the screen.

"Lord Vader. What can I do for you? "

" I command you to collect your fleet and return to the Core immediately. I expect you in the Imperial Palace at precisely 1500."

"My Lord, I cannot possibly leave the Unknown Territories behind. They would be vulnerable to all kinds of pirates and ... "

"What part of the chain of command do you not understand, Admiral?"

"With all due respect, Sir. Why do you need the entire Unity Fleet in the Core Worlds?"

Vader felt the desire to strangle the Chiss in front of him, but then again he was an asset far too valuable. Thrawn was a genius. His tactics were perfect and often more sophisticated and extravagant than the Emperor's.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, I will make this as brief and painless as possible: The Galactic Empire is about to fall. A highly sophisticated, but atrocious alien race, called the Waarom, is attacking from the north, and I cannot stop them. Their mother ships transform our planets into cemeteries. They deprive a plant of all its natural resources within mere days and wipe out all intelligent life along the way. They use them either as salves in their mines, to feed their hunger or as hosts for their brood. Their ships are organic and their shields have proven to be almost impenetrable. I need all ships in the Core right now and I need you to submit an amnesty proposal to the Rebel Alliance. We will lose the Unknown Regions, Admiral. To the pirates or the Waarom. I would prefer the former. I will see you tomorrow. 1500." Then, without any warning, the screen went black again.

**PP**

"Kreth." Han stared at the questionnaire in his hand. He had ticked the wrong answer - again. Passing the Alliance's psychological questionnaire was one of the requirements for taking part in the upcoming negotiations and thus General Solo sat on the floor in the cockpit of the Falcon, a sheet of paper in his hand and an ongoing pain in his head.

Suddenly he heard someone entering the ship and judging by the sound of the footsteps, it was Leia.

"Han?" she asked as she entered the cockpit. "What in the stars are you doing here? On the floor?"

"My chair is broken," he replied.

Leia circled Han's chaos and found two of the four chairs lying on the floor; apparently someone had rather forcefully pulled them out of their sockets. She lifted one slightly and looked inquiringly at Han, but he just grinned sheepishly.

"Something tells me this wasn't Chewie. Shall I call someone to repair this?"

"No, I will repair it myself later on. Don't worry." he declared and was once more busy with the questionnaire.

"What's that?"

"This, your Worship, is the newest invention of our ever so popular psychologist. She claims I might suffer frompost-traumatic stress´ because of the `special treatment´ I received on Bespin and therefore could endanger the negotiations! These bureaucrats stop at nothing to keep me at bay. "

"Did you spend the whole night on this?"

"You know, I've thought about this for a long time and came to the conclusion that, if I'm about to answers these questions truthfully, they'll think that I'm some kind of thermal detonator ready to explode. But then again the whole thing has to sound believable and so I'm trying to be as inconspicuous as possible... without actually lying. "

Leia snatched the paper from his hands.

Do you have pets, if so which? Answer: Fish.

Leia looked up and searched the room. "Han ... you do not have any fish."

"But I have an aquarium! Well ... it has been modified a little, but that doesn't change ... "

"Han, they're asking for pets!"

"This is exactly what is wrong with you! You see everything so ... "

"Han!"

"But I had fish!"

Leia scowled. "Had, Han. Had. That is the past!" Before she could grab a pen, Han tore the sheet from her hands. "Don't you dare distorting my answers."

"Han, your answers are wrong!"

Suddenly the door opened and Chewie entered, roaring a question.

"Sure, it's finished." Han smiled, signed the questionnaire and handed it over to his copilot. As Chewie left the room, Leia's eyes drilled into his back. "Typical!" Sometimes she really asked herself why she put with him.

**PP**

I never thought I would live to see this day. Leia Organa shook her head and entered the large conference room of Prince Isolder on the planet of Hapan, one of the few planets that had managed to avoid imperial jurisdiction.

Leia still couldn't make any sense of it. Since when did the Emperor sign amnesties? And why with the Alliance? Either this was a trap, or the Empire needed their help – and considering their current situation that was not very likely. The battle of Endor had been disastrous and they were still recovering from it. So what was all this about?

Leia's eyes wandered through the room, which was full of high ranking imperial personnel and diplomats. Cold blooded bastards, all of them. She had served in the senate long enough to know that most Imperials had nothing but their own well-being in mind.

"Princess. What a surprise." Leia winced slightly, then turned around and saw Grand Admiral Thrawn standing right before her. She had never met him, but she knew about him of course. How could she not? Thrawn was the only non-human to ever gain his Majesty's favour. Well, the word `favour´ probably didn't do him justice, as he had managed to gain the rank of Grand Admiral, the very zenith within Imperial Navy. A Grand Admiral reported directly to Palpatine and there were never more of twelve of them at a time. After the infamous Grand Admiral Zaarin had committed treason, Thrawn had taken his place and with that he was the thirteenth person to ever hold the rank. And that fact alone, was more than Leia needed to know that this man could not be a nice fellow. At his side was a young, beautiful human female, a royal courtesan probably. Leia looked at him closely. If the rumours were true this man was a bloody genius. One these Imperials that kept you up all night, because you always had to worry that he was already one step ahead.

"Leia Organa, is not it? It is a pleasure to meet you." The blonde woman reached out a hand. Leia took it and threw her a playful smile. Oh, please…. As far as Leia was concerned all female escorts of imperial Officers possessed the IQ of a Bantha and another tedious conversation was the last thing she wanted. The blonde pointed to the news data-pad under her arm. "Bad thing, isn't it?"

"Um ... yes." Leia had no idea what she was referring to, but admitting that to one of his Majesty's courtesans was not an option.

"Did you, I mean as a known politician, expect something like this?" Leia stared at the woman with an icy glare. Why couldn't the earth open up and swallow her now?

Thrawn watched her rather intensely and then raised an eyebrow in a partially inquiring, partially amused fashion.

He knows. He knows that I do not have the faintest….

Leia look at him in the most superior manner she could manage and then said contemptuously: "You could say that I saw it coming, yes. Why?" One thing was certain; she would never go to another official event without reading the news first.

The knocking of one of the imperial diplomats opened the meeting and freed Leia of the blonde's company. She just wanted to take a seat, when she suddenly felt a breeze against her left ear.

"There has been an attack on Govener Nereus of Bakura."

Thrawn. Holy Sith, in his eyes the entire command of the Alliance probably looked like it was made up of infantile idealists, who did not know in what kind of galaxy they were living.

The princess looked irritated at the mischievous face of the Admiral. Did he think that was funny?

Leia took a daring step forward and hissed a cold "I know" in his direction before finally walking over to Mon Mothma, Skywalker and Solo.

**PP**

The Holoprojector showed distressing images of death, suffering and chaos. Images of beaches littered with corpses. Humans, Rodians, Twi'leks, Zabrak, Wookies – there was no distinction between them – they all suffered. Innumerable refugees on their way to the Core, boarding heavily overcrowded transporters and people pleading for death after falling prey to a larva. They saw pictures of humanoids that were left with nothing except what they had worn on the day of the attack and unimaginable destruction. Desperate adults with dead babies in their arms and small children searching for their parents, who were probably long dead and somewhere there was talk of almost twenty billion dead and just as many missing.

When the artificial light finally lit up again, a collective sense of helplessness seemed to emerge from both parties alike. The Admiral certainly knew how to put forward an argument…

Thrawn slowly put his long fingers together and his burning eyes carefully probed everyone before he spoke.

"I think we agree that Waarom provide a far greater threat than any political disagreement of our two fractions. They have only one goal: Total destruction. Political orientation and race do not concern them. It is regretful that it required such a hostile third party to arrange this meeting, but for now, a coalition against our common enemy is vital."

He examined the faces of those present and, as expected, none of them raised any objections.

"We should unite our fleets. The Emperor hereby grants all criminals and rebels against the Galactic Empire an immediate amnesty ... if, in return, the forces of the Rebel Alliance comply with their complete integration into the Imperial Navy."

Han could not believe it. That guy had some nerve. Complete integration? Was that some kind of bad joke? Han's distress rose with every passing minute and after some thirty minutes the bewildered Corellian realized that the Admiral had actually convinced most of the Rebel high command that an integration into the Empire was a great idea! For Han he was like an evil master of rhetoric, who turned words upside down, found contrary meanings within them and used logic, facts and science in the most sinful way. For the benefit of the Empire and with that, his own.

"What if we do not have enough time to develop this biological weapon you suggest?"

"We will win" Thrawn said in a voice that sounded a little too confident to Han.

"And what if the fleet cannot hold the Quelii sector? The battle ships of the Alliance are no Imperial Star Destroyers." Han shook his head. "I'm just not too optimistic about this. Isn't there some kind of plan-B?"

Thrawn took a deep breath. "There is no plan-B. We have all to loose and noting to gain, so let us hope it never comes to this. But if theQuelii sector should fall, General Solo, I would probably order the fleet back to Carida to defend all that is worth defending."

Han almost jumped up. "A space battle so close to the Core? Do you know how many people live on the planets between Dathomir and Cardia? You can't just leave them behind! "

Thrawn's eyes were fixed on Han. "Yes, General Solo, I know. I also know that you have friends on Kashyyyk. Nevertheless, I am willing to sacrifice them if that means saving the Deep Core and the Inner Rim."

Did this blue devil feel nothing at all? "What about all the people there?"

"For an evacuation we lack both time and resources. You see General, sometimes it just comes down to numbers. We will do all we can and hope for the best. And for the moment that also includes avoiding a mass hysteria. Therefore, I hope I can rely on all of your discretion. Is regrettable that my plan does not find your approval, General Solo, but I am afraid it cannot be helped."

"What makes you think that such an inhuman plan could ever find anyone's approval?" Han started to shake inwardly and his hand found its way to the miniature blaster in the side pocket of his trousers that he had managed to smuggle through security. To hell with it all! With all these politicians and bureaucrats! What had he said? `Sometimes it all comes down to numbers.´ Yes, that was exactly what they were to him. Numbers. These imperial bastards were just as bad as Warrom.

Rukh, Thrawn's faithful Noghri bodyguard, however had seen the movement Solo had assumedto beinconspicuousand was behind him withinamatter of seconds, a knife ready in his hands. A gesture of his master stopped the Noghri though.

"General Solo, do you not realize the seriousness of the situation? Do you honestly believe I make such decisions lightly?" Everyone was quiet by now and started at Han and even Leia's face betrayed the anger she felt, seeing him losing control like this.

Han's expression hardened when he realized that Thrawn used the situation once more to his own advantage.

"I do believe just that. Men like you stop at nothing to get what they want." Han's grip on the blaster was still firm, but sweat glistened on his forehead.

"Perhaps, but at the moment you are the one with the finger on the trigger." Thrawn said in a calm, balanced and almost smug way. "Looks like the war made you a more equal opponent than you realize, Solo." The irony in his voice was not lost on Han. An equal opponent? One who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted ... Han sighed and finally let go of the blaster, bringing his hand back on the table. How he had outmaneuvered him has beyond Han. Sith, that blue skinned devil played with his psyche as easily as Max Rebo played with his red ball organ! But one thing was sure, he did not want to be compared to an imperial Grand Admiral. Rukh put away his knife and disappeared in the background again, while Han ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. This was just great!

"Or maybe you're not." This time the sarcasm in Admiral's voice was clear and his red eyes shone with superiority. "And this is the reason I win."

"Very nice, Admiral." Darth Vader's dark voice filled the room and suddenly all attention was focus on the dark figure in the doorway, followed by four stormtroopers of his loyal 501st legion.

**PP**

How had he managed to enter without being detected? Luke's eyes where fixed on the dark figure like a piece of a metal on a magnet. He hadn't seen his fath ... Vader since Bespin and now he was here. This was happening to fast. His hand was healed, but the psychological wounds of their last encounter were not.

"But I advise you to talk less and come to a quick end here. His Majesty wishes the treaty to be signed and sealed by this very evening." The Dark Lord said, or rather informed, in his most impassive voice. He did not even as much as look at Luke before he turned to Thrawn once more, handing him a data chip. "A minute of your time, Admiral." Thrawn nodded, stood up and addressed the audience in turn.

"I am afraid this conference will have to be postponed. My Lord." Thrawn gestured towards the door and both left without another word.

**PP**

Luke Skywalker sat at the conference table, desperately trying to collect his thoughts. By the looks of it, the Alliance didn't stand a chance against the Warrom and if Fey'lya's face was any indication, the High Command would personably sign the Imperial treaty soon, but what would become of him? Would Luke Skywalker, Jedi apprentice without a master, die in a space battle? In an x-wing, perhaps? Not that that was a bad thing. Not at all. He loved flying and he wanted to help, not the Empire in particular, but the galaxy as a whole. Therefore, however, he needed the force. He had the potential to become a Jedi, if he only there was someone left to teach and guide him… During their disastrous encounter on Bespin, Vader had offered to complete his training, but back then Luke had seen no reason to accept his offer. But now the tables had turned - hundreds of lives were at stake and if there was only the slightest chance that he could help them, he had to try. His decision being made, Luke sighed, swallowed his pride, left the conference room and looked for his father.

**PP**

"Commander Skywalker?" hearing the Admiral's voice, Luke turned around to see the two Imperials coming towards him. The young man nodded in Thrawn's direction, but then went straight on to address the Dark Lord.

„May I speak to you for a moment…in private" he added, glancing at Thrawn. Vader remained silent for a couple of seconds, before dismissing the Admiral with a simple gesture.

Vader waited until the Chiss was out of hearing range, then he turned to Luke.

"I suggest we go outside."

Alright. At least that'll give me some time to think. Luke thought, as he followed the dark figure out of the building.

"What can I do for you, my son?"

„The question, Lord Vader, is not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you."

"Is that so?" Vader titled his head and Luke had the strongest feeling that he was slightly irritated by his behaviour. Luke nodded to reinforce his position, but Vader seemed unmoved.

"I find that hard to believe, Commander, as it is obvious that you still have not accepted the truth."

„I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father. But you betray the memory of the good man you once were with everything you do, Vader."

He just looked at the youth in front of him.

„That name no longer has any meaning for me." Luke shook his head and held his father's gaze. Was it really that easy? Could a man be completely evil? Or completely good for that matter? Luke refused to believe it.

"How can it be meaningless to you? It's your name after all. Your true name. You have just forgotten. `Lord Vader´ is no more than a Sith title. I know there is good in you."

"You are naïve to believe so, my son. The man you are talking about is long since dead and the quicker you accept this to be true the better. Now tell me, son; do you still feel the need to `offer me´ something?"

What should he do now? This man…his father… could he trust him? And did he even have a choice? Do, or do not – there is no try.

Luke closed his eyes and sighed. „Yes, I do. I do want to offer… me." Luke paused and expected Vader to reply in one way or the other, but the dark figure just remained silent, apparently waiting for some kind of explanation.

„You offered to finish my training, to work for you. Well, if the offer's still on, then…"

Vader looked at the young Jedi next to him and studied him for a while. The Sith did not trust him, that much was obvious.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. Your offer has been rejected. "

Luke was baffled. `No?´ What did he mean, `no´? After Bespin, he had thought that ...

"Wait!" Luke said quickly when he saw that Vader was already on his way again. Once he had caught up to the dark figure, Luke mustered up all his courage and faced him once more.

"Why not?"

Lord Vader stopped abruptly. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you, Commander? Just one. On Bespin you were at your weakest, yet you did not comply. Now that is not the case, but you come to me and expect my trust? I do not think so. "

"But ... why not?"

"Look, Commander Skywalker. Trust is a luxury I cannot afford." Vader saw the boy taking a step back. "I also have neither the time nor the inclination to listen to your infallible Jedi morals. I am afraid the timing of your sudden change of mind could not have been more unfortunate."

Luke's hands trembled with anger. He wanted to do something. Sith, he only wanted to help! Well, his definition of help probably differed largely from the imperial one, but their goal was the same. The Alliance was no threat to the Waroom, but with the Empire and its technology and money they might actually bring this war to a successful conclusion. For that however, they needed to `trust´ each other first, not just join forces. He at least was not willing to stand by and watch how the Waroom wiped out humanity. Why did he not understand? What had happened in past, didn't matter anymore or at least it should not. Not for the moment. Because against the Waroom there was only one rule: Fight or die! Resist or serve! And he would not serve.  
"Wait! Or at least hear me out. I have just offered you my allegiance! An offer that I will not, I repeat, not make twice. And you just dismiss it, like it was nothing at all! I don't get it. I mean, after all the trouble you've gone through to get me to this point? I do not know why you do this. It really escapes me. Maybe because you like to order and push people around like pawns on a chessboard. Or maybe just because you're used to it. But I'm not one of these pawns!" Luke's eyes were fixed to the black figure in front of him like those of a predator.  
"You overrate your value, Commander. As always. "  
Luke was stunned. "Why are you doing this? Our methods are different but - but our goal is the same! And you have more use of an additional Jedi than ever."  
"Jedi? I would say that is a slightly exaggerated representation of yourself, Commander. "  
Vader took a deep breath and looked at the young Rebel once more.  
"I know it must not have been easy for you to come to me to offer me your assistance." Luke did not respond. "But there is one question did you not ask yourself, Luke. Do you really know what it takes? Our methods might prove to be too different, you are full of Jedi propaganda and your behaviour here shows that you have a problem with authority."  
Luke controlled his anger. He knew that Vader deliberately provoked him.  
"You knew that on Bespin, too. Still you wanted me to join you." he replied stubbornly.  
"Back then we had time."  
"You said I should give you one good reason ... how about this one: At the moment it looks like the galaxy as we know it will cease to exist – with or without me trying to help you to prevent it. You have nothing to lose."  
Behind the mask Lord Vader closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. He had once made the mistake of trusting Obi-Wan. It had been a fatal mistake. Why should he risk it again? He couldn't afford any mistakes anymore. Not at the moment. Too many lives were at stake. But then again that had always been the case. Maybe his son was right. Now was the time for survival. Not power plays. If he had ever needed help, it was now. He just hoped that the young Jedi was ready for it, as the dark side demanded complete obedience. Vader looked deeply into those blue eyes that resemble his own. Yes, Luke was strong, much stronger than he had expected and hoped. He had known pain and suffering, and had gained strength through it. Strength that he would need in the days to come.  
"All right, Commander Skywalker. It is time to prove your worth."

 

Please Review! :)


	3. Bad going worse

Lord Mulkrin, Supreme Overlord of the Waroom, walked victoriously through the ruins of a once affluent city. What glorious triumph! What a vast feeding-ground he had conquered! He smiled, revealing razor-sharp, yellowish teeth. Now his name would always be remembered, he was sure of it. These humans would serve them well, either as food or as slaves. A shame they hadn't discovered the Empire at an earlier stage of their campaign. Mulkrin's brownish skin was marked by scars, tattoos and deformities of all kinds and he wore them with pride, because what else did a warrior have to show for his courage?

A second, less tormented looking creature went up to his Lord and bowed deeply.

"Stand up and say what you came to say."

The younger Waroom did not dare look into his Lord's eyes, but his bearing spoke of courage and dignity nonetheless.

"My Lord" he began in a low, steady voice. "Prefect Efrin has just returned. He told me that the humans have formed a new alliance. An alliance to destroy us, my Lord."

Mulkrin laughed a soft but evil laugh.

"An alliance to destroy us, you say? How amusing. Still, one should never underestimate one's enemy. Who is the leader of this new human alliance? Did Efrin say that as well?"

For the first time the young Waroom met his master's eyes. "He did indeed, my Lord. He said the negotiations were led by a Chiss named Mith'raw'nuruodo and a human female by the name of Leia Organa. It is said she is a real princess."

"These humans let their females work? Run their government?" Mulkrin's face clearly showed his disgust. "How repulsive! The females should be grateful that we free them of their shameful position. And there I was led to believe these humans would `care´ for each other." Mulkrin shook his head. "Care - a concept I've never quite understood ... But then ..." A devilish grin formed on Mulkrin's face."Krull, my friend, I think I just had an idea. Tell Efrin to bring both of them to me.…alive, if possible."

"As you wish, my Lord."

**PP**

It was night and Leia Organa walked slowly through the palace gardens, while her thoughts still lingered on the conference. So many deaths, the argument between Han and the Grand Admiral…and then her …father had shown up. It still hurt to call him that, even if it was only in her mind.

The crescent-shaped moon cast its pale light into the darkness, while dense clouds covered sky. As it began to rain, Leia quickly turned around and walked back towards the palace. An Alliance's data-pad tightly pressed to her chest and her view obstructed by heavy rain, Leia couldn't see a thing. Nevertheless, she suddenly noticed a dark figure approaching from behind. Or at least she thought so.

Who was that?

Leia stopped, with her heart racing in her chest she looked around, but couldn't make anyone out in the darkness.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" No one answered, but then she heard the noise of a tree branch cracking under someone's foot. Sith! Her steps began to accelerate and the soles of her white high-heels splashed loudly on the wet, muddy ground as she ran towards the palace. Once she had passed the gardener's gilder, Leia finally found the courage to look over her shoulder and then exhaled deeply. Nothing. Kreth! Looks like I'm getting paranoid after all. With a sigh, she stopped running. A fatal mistake.

A figure jumped out of the darkness and grabbed her from behind, while the gilder's door opened. Leia tried to scream, but the figure silenced her by covering her mouth. I'm being kidnapped! Leia realized with a sudden pang of panic. In hopes they might just be interesting in the data-pad, Leia let it fall to the ground, but the figure did not let go of her. In fact, the grip around her wrists tightened as her kidnapper roughly turned her arm over and pushed her into the waiting glider. His leather gloves were still firmly pressed to her lips, when Leia noticed a second figure preparing a handkerchief with some kind of liquid. Then he came over and forcefully pressed it onto her nose. After that, there was nothing but darkness.

…

Princess Leia awoke in a dark, damp room. No windows, no lights. She lay on the floor, her white dress dirty and mostly torn. She was cold. The floor was made of stone, just as the walls. Her head felt numb and when she tried to stand up, she noticed that she couldn't. Steel binders clasped her wrists and ankles. Although the chains attached to them allowed some mobility, she was chained like a slave and could do no more but kneel on the hard floor. She did not know if it was day or night, morning or evening. She only knew that she was a prisoner in this vault and chained like an animal.

Leia gasped and her eyes gradually became accustomed to the darkness. Only then did she realize that she was not alone ...

"Good morning, Princess."

Leia winced. Thrawn. The precise voice of the Admiral echoed painfully in her ears and memories came rushing back. Sith!

She looked over at him. His lower lip was split and his wrists bled where they had been hurt by the binders.

"Someone tried ..." she broke off as a new wave of pain went through her.

"... to kidnap you. Yes, how very observant, Princess. And if you take look around you, you will find that the Waroom were quite successful in their little enterprise, despite your obvious resistance."

"The Waroom?" Leia asked and looked around once more. "Are you sure? Do you know where we are?"

Thrawn's face remained expressionless. "How much of your abduction do you remember, Princess?"

"Why do you ask?" Leia asked, eyes focused on the Admiral.

"Because I know who my kidnappers are." Leia was silent. It looked like the Waroom had beaten him up badly. His body seemed to be covered in bruises and his uniform was blood stained …perhaps their drugs didn't work on his species.

…

The door opened and Lord Mulkrin entered with one of his prefects.

"Ugly, aren't they?" Efrin nodded in agreement. "Indeed, my Lord."

Mulkrin loosened the chains a little, which finally allowed Leia and Thrawn to stand. Curiously, the Waroom circled his captives and eyed them closely. "As flawless as newborn babies." he declared and then shook his head with undisguised revulsion. "It is hard to believe that they choose these two specimens to defend their galaxy. It's almost pathetic." He still eyed the creatures before him and seemed to study them. They couldn't be warriors, could they?

Mulkrin reached out and all of a sudden stroked Leia's face. Her head snapped to the side and an involuntary cry escaped the princess's mouth as Mulkrin's hand left a hideous red mark on her left cheek.

"Weak, ugly creatures." He was about to strike her again, but Thrawn caught his arm just in time.

"Enough. What is it you want from us?"

Mulkrin's empty gaze was now fixed on Thrawn. "Why did you refuse her the honour of being embellished?"

Thrawn's eyes narrowed. "Embellished?" he asked confused. "Your race considers physical deformation beautiful?"

Lord Mulkrin laughed. "So the rumours about the humans are true then? You are pets! You like to be petted and cared for." His right went to Leia's cheek again, this time to caress it."This is better, isn't it?"

"Take your dirty hands off, you bastard!" Leia yelled and spat provocatively in his face. The Waroom drew back his hand.

"Interesting. No pets. But no warriors either." He took a step back and eyed the prisoners once more. "I do not understand these humans. Do you, Efrin?"

"No, I…"

"I am not human." Thrawn hissed, interrupting the two.

"Really? Whatever you are, it's close enough. Like two different breeds of the same race."Mulkrin pressed his hand firmly on Thrawn's injured shoulder, causing streams of blood to slowly rundown his right arm.

"You even share the same red blood." He took some of it between fingers, smiled viciously and then brought it to his mouth, obviously enjoying its taste.

"You see? To me, there is no difference."

"Is that why you brought us here? To feed on us?" Leia asked, slightly panicked.

"Thanks to your galaxy's extensive population, our food-storage is filled to its full capacity. Consequently, food supply would not justify the, let's say, `ostentatious´ circumstances of your capture. No, we do not intend to feed on you, Princess Organa. We need you, because we desire something of your governments."

"That means we are your hostages?"

Mulkrin shook his head. "No, not our hostages. Our slaves. You see, I hate to waste resources and your work-force is a resource. We will not feed you and keep you alive for nothing. No, for that you will have to work in the mines – just like all the other slaves we captured on our journey. The rules are quite simple: Work well and we will feed you well, work badly and you will be punished." One more time the sinister laugh of Lord Mulkrin filled the room before the door finally shut behind him, leaving them in darkness once more.

**PP**

Ion torches were the only things illuminating the dark passages of Bast Castle, Darth Vader's private fortress. In a strange way the old building mirrored its owner perfectly, as Bast Castle was a black and gloomy fortress near a poisonous beach on the acid rain-soaked planet of Vjun. The rain, however, was not the only thing protecting the castle; it was heavily armed and surrounded by complex defense networks, which extended for several kilometers and included turbolaser turrets and uncountable hovering security droids, while electromagnetic storms prohibited any kind of communication, except the force. In other words, it was an unfriendly and impenetrable place, which made it perfect for Lord Darth Vader to find the solitude he needed when facing crucial decisions – or to train another force-strong being behind his master's back. Or at least, that had been the plan.

…

"Hey, uncle Dee!"

Vader had felt his presence long before he had heard him. Damn that man! He had long since given up telling Jix that `Uncle Dee´ was NOT the proper way of greeting a Sith Lord. With a sudden movement the Dark Lord stopped and turned to face the uninvited guest.

"Jixton. What are you doing here?"

"But uncle Dee, aren't you happy to see me?" Jix smiled. He was a handsome man. Tall, well muscled, with long, dark hair tied back in a ponytail and three days stubbles on his face. Vader opened the door to his office and motioned for Wrenga to follow him.

"Quite the opposite. In fact, you are beginning to try my patience, Jixton and you know how much I hate to repeat myself. So what are you doing here? I did not send for you. "

"Am I not allowed to simply visit my favorite uncle every once in a while? Come on, I know you've missed me! Without me, your life would be so ... "

"... quiet?" Vader suggested.

"Well, now that was not quite the word I was looking for, but if that's how you feel."

"Enough Jixton, if you value your life."

Jixton sighed and raised his hands in an act of surrender, even though he knew he had nothing to fear. "Alright."

True, his adopted `uncle´ liked having Jix around; he spoke his mind, was clever and quite useful. Ever since he had saved his life on Aridus, Vader had become quite found of him and Jixton was without a doubt one of his best agents. The only problem was that Jixton was quite aware of it. Vader did not like owing anyone anything, nor did he like putting up with the man's permanent rudeness for that matter. But still… Jixton was a case of its own.

"Okay, okay, I got it. You want to talk business, so business it is. Why am I here? Well, maybe because nobody could reach you here on Vjun and things have gotten a little out of hand out there. You see, a certain Captain Pellaeon of the Chimaera reported that Grand Admiral Thrawn did not show up for his regular shift and Grand Moff Tigellinus took full advantage of the situation, verbalizing that our dear Grand Admiral might have changed sides, being alien and all that. You know the Moffs, they'll be the end of Empire some day. And with you being away they might actually declare him a traitor and I'm sure I do not have to tell you how that might interfere with the big plan at the moment."

"Thrawn a rebel sympathizer? Very unlikely. Especially so if you know Tigellinus. And the Emperor is quite capable of handling the Moffs, if necessary. Therefore, this piece of information is not worth my time."

"I just thought you should know." Wrenga beamed and shrugged in an innocent gesture.

"Apparently, Thrawn never returned from Hapan and neither did Princess Leia." This, at least, seemed to capture the Dark Lord's interest.

"The Waarom."

"My idea exactly."

Vader looked at the Corellian in front of him, apparently deep in thought.

"I may have misjudged the situation. Your skills might be needed after all."

**PP**

SOMEWHERE DEEP IN THE UNKOWN TERRITORIES

It felt almost like running into a wall when they finally left the shuttle and took their first step on the planet's desert-like surface. There was no wind and the oppressive, dusty air almost took away their every breath in the unbearable heat. Thrawn raised his left hand protectively over his eyes and searched the sky. Six moons around a desert-planet? He searched his mind, but without success - he had no idea where they were. Apparently, the Warroms' hyperdrive surpassed Imperial standard. Suddenly, the vibro-lance of one of the guards harshly pushed him forward, through the desert and, as it turned out, towards a mine of some sort. There were literally hundreds of people of unknown species, carrying stones of a blue substance from a mountain formation to little, hovering silver buckets. As far as Thrawn could tell, the slaves were a pretty mixed group, but all of them looked miserably ragged and skinny in their torn and dirty clothes and it did not take long until the heat took its toll on the Admiral, too; Leia's state, however, seemed to be significantly worse and the Chiss soon found himself steadying the Princess when she began to loose conscience close to the entrance. "We are almost there. It will be cooler inside."

"I know. I'll be fine." Leia said, but her body betrayed her true condition. It seemed like the abduction, the imprisonment and the infernal heat she was facing now, combined with the knowledge of what may very well lie ahead of them, was simply too much for her.

…

Once inside, Leia spotted some different, bigger work-slaves, who trailed big carriages filled with more stones behind them. These slaves were also malnourished, as their skin hung limply from their bodies. Most of them seemed to be male, even if they did spot a woman among them occasionally. In general, they seemed to work in collective silence and the only sounds Leia could make out were disturbed moans and the low cries of those coming to close to the supervising guards. It was a dreadful place, like a scene right out of hell.

"One could almost believe we were on Kessel."

Leia looked at her companion. "Is that based on imagination or do you speak from experience, Admiral?", she asked.

The guard pointed with his vibro-lance towards two old-fashioned metal picks.

"Looks like no one would trust us with laser technology", Thrawn hissed as he handed Leia one of the picks. "I guess those are for us… and yes, I have been on Kessel. However, under somewhat favorable circumstances."

Leia snatched the device from his hand in disgust. "Then I suggest you should use our time here to reconsider mine work for imperial prisoners, Admiral. I've heard that a change in perspective can perform true miracles."

The two got into the cart that had been assigned to them, which then carried them deeper and deeper into the mountain.

When the cart finally came to a halt, the picture Leia saw made her swallow. Hundreds of people wore heavy metal binders around their ankles that were connected to old metal chains, which ultimately shackled them to the walls and prevented them from leaving their small digging corner. The picks were more often than not carried by bloody, swollen hands and the slaves that were old and tired or both were electrocuted to carry on by the Waarom guards.

"Trust me, compared to this, Kessel is a hotel." Leia swallowed. Maybe. Hopefully.

After Leia and Thrawn had been chained to one of the corners at the far end of the tunnel, the guard told them what to do.

"25 carts, each of you. Otherwise, there will be no food!"

After the guard had felt, the two newcomers were strangely eyed by the other slaves working in their tunnel. Especially Leia seemed to catch their attention; probably because many of them hadn't seen a young, attractive female in years. Just after a couple of minutes a hard male voice called:

"Espensi na gotga ta Chura!"

Some men laughed and threw the Princess some not so subtle glances.

"That's the kind of thing a woman understands in very language, you half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder! And the answer is NO!" Leia yelled in the approximate direction the voice had been coming form, while going as far away from the wall as the chain allowed.

Suddenly an unbelievably revolting obese, greenish alien with three black eyes stood mere centimeters from Leia.

"Chura ti fissa, Kooa!" He laughed again.

Behind Leia, Thrawn stopped working and turned around to face the alien.

"Te haka na Chura wa hoki! No demroious, te passa!" Leia had no idea what Thrawn was saying, but it seemed to work as the alien looked a little perplex at first, but then backed away. Subsequently, Thrawn took Leia's hand and pulled her roughly behind him back into their working corner.

"From now on you stay with me." he ordered sternly.

"I don't think so!" Leia freed herself from his grip. "Sorry to inform you, Admiral, but I'm not one of your subordinates! You are an Imperial, I am working for the Alliance. Hence, I can do whatever I please!" She reached for her pick.

"Right. I will make sure to remind you of that the next time you have a little chat with one of your admirers here." Leia looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. … Thank you."

Thrawn opened his uniform jacket and threw it in on the floor in one of the corners, now showing a plain white undershirt.

"There is no need to thank me, Princess. The Emperor surely would not be amused, if I managed to loose you to some petty criminals or perverts. Thus, for the sake of both of us, remain by my side."

Finally Leia nodded. "Alright" Then she started to work on the mountain, but after a while curiosity got the better of her.

"Do you speak a lot of languages?"

He nodded. "I do. Out in the Unknown Territories, Basic is not one of the most prominent languages and I prefer to talk to people in person. Protocol droids do have quite counterproductive effects on conversations, for example they slow it down and make an intelligent dialogue almost impossible."

Leia could understand that, but then again not everyone possessed the required skill to learn alien languages.

"What did he say? The alien?" she asked a little scared.

"Forgive me if I refuse to provide a literal translation, but he made a rather indecent proposal."

"I guessed as much. How indecent?"

"Very." Apparently he had no intention to go into detail.

"And what did you say? " Leia waited patiently for an answer, but it never came. One of the guards had returned and shot an electric lightening blot right in Thrawn's back.

"You should save your energy for more important things than talk, humans! Now, work! It's still a long time till dusk!"

…

In the evening, Leia was too exhausted to talk, to think or to do anything. All her limbs were aching and her hands were full of blisters when they were brought to their cell in the slave camps. While walking past the other prisoners' cells, Leia could not help but notice that in each tiny cabin were about seven prisoners, mostly huddling together and shivering on the cold, damp stone floor. There were not beds just some torn, grey banquets, no toilets and only a tiny slit in the back wall, which admitted light and air to enter the cell.

When they were finally pushed into their cell, Leia was relieved to see that they seemed to have a slightly better accommodation. It was still appalling, but at least they did not have to share it with five other prisoners. The first ting Leia noticed was an old, rusty metal bunk-bed and a small hole in the corner next to the door which she assumed served as a toilet. Otherwise, the room was empty. Great. Leia went over to the bed and lifted one of the banquets to her nose.

"How disgusting!" She throw it back on the bed.

"It could be worse."

Leia walked over to the small window. "Really?" She pointed outside and when Thrawn stood next to her, he knew what she was referring to. Outside the lifeless remains of nine crucified slaves where displayed. It was a horrifying view, as birds and rats were still chewing on some of newer corpses's flesh, while the older ones had turned into dry, brown leather by the blistering sun. Probably a visual reminder of what would happen, if they dared to escape.

"A bit out-of-date, but it serves its purpose."

Leia's hands gripped the iron bars of the tiny windows, as she closed her eyes, leaned her head against the cold limestone and breathed heavily.

"I think I am sick," she said, sounding exhausted and tired.

"No, you are not. You merely suffer from dehydration. We both did not drink enough and are not accustomed to our new surroundings yet; I can feel the symptoms, too. Do not worry, Princess, we are far too important to the Waarom to simply let us die of thirst."

Almost on command the door opened and a guard wordlessly carried a tray with water and food in the cell. Thrawn pointed to the bed. "You should sit down." When he returned with a brown mug of water and sat down next to Leia.

"Here, drink." Gratefully, she took the mug from his hands and drank it with two long gulps.

"Thanks." Her hands trembled when Thrawn handed her the food.

"Oh dear. I think I'm on diet." Leia took the wooden spoon and stirred the indefinable mash a little. Disgusted she glanced at Thrawn who actually tasted the awful stuff.

"How can you eat that? The sight alone makes me sick! "

Thrawn caught her eyes. "We will not get anything else, Princess. The food may kill you. No food, however, most certainly will. And quite honestly, you need it more than I do. Therefore, I would suggest that you swallow your pride and eat."

He was right, but as soon as Leia lifted the spoon to her month, she could feel her stomach rebel. If this stuff tasted only half as bad as it looked… no, she couldn't eat this. No, way. Leia put the spoon back into the bowl. "Maybe tomorrow."

After she had refilled her mug from the large water jug on the tray, her eyes rested on the bed.

"Bottom or top?"

Thrawn got up, put the bowl back on the tray and then looked at the bed, too.

"If you do not mind, I prefer to be on top."

Leia grinned. "Don't all men?"

There was a pregnant pause and for a split second Leia was sure that she had seen his cheeks turning somewhat purple.

"Perhaps this did not come out right... But if you wish, you may sleep in the top bed."

It was nice to see that even an imperial officer could blush. It made him a lot more `human´ in Leia's eyes. She grinned again.

"Well Admiral, that's good, because princesses are always on top. Didn't you know? "

Leia, sure to have won their little squabble, just wanted to climb up the bed, when she saw a cheeky grin appear on her cell mate's angular face.

"Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure yet, but I am always willing to learn."

This time it was Leia who blushed. And without another word she climbed up the stairs.

Kreth!

**PP**

 

THE NEXT MORNING / A RECORDED HOLONET MESSAGE

"Humans. I, Lord Mulkrin, Supreme Overlord of the Waarom strike-forces, have been commanded to announce that Lord Abaddon, the sole ruler of the indisputable power of the Waarom, commander of the largest existing force in the galaxy, is not willing to tolerate beings whose intellect almost rivals our own. Humans are no warriors, and thus destined to be nothing more than slaves to the glory of the Waarom. Your `machines´ are no more than perverse expressions of childish creativity and have proven to be inferior to our coral ships. Nonetheless, they are testaments to an innovative spirit that no slave should call his own and therefore represents a threat to the Waarom. The Human power in this galaxy has to be eradicated.

Resistance is futile and we have already discovered another, promising galaxy, which will serve us well as feeding-grounds in the future. But for now, we are unwilling to waste unnecessary resources in the destruction of the human Empire. End your resistance and we will not completely eradicate your race, only weaken its power. This is a more generous offer than most of our opponents have received. To make sure you stay in line, we have operated one of your many weaknesses and have brought your leaders, Mith'raw'nuruodo and Leia Organa into our power. They say you feel `compassion´. If you do, then feel it for them, because we will make you suffer, starting with them. We will use and abuse you, take your hopes, your pride and your freedom ... all that by human standards makes life worth living and that would only be the beginning."

**PP**

The Emperor sat motionless on his throne and Darth Vader could not help but feel that the Emperor was a little offended. Not that he, Darth Vader, would complain that the Waarom did not pay him much attention, quite the contrary - but to forget the Emperor, the ruler of this galaxy and the Galactic Empire, in their enumeration of power was... somewhat dangerous.

"Lord Vader," the Emperor said calmly, "I want the head of this Overlord - I want these creatures wiped off this galaxy!"

Lord Vader bowed slightly before his master. "Of course, my Emperor. As you wish. Counter-measures have already been set in motion. "

"Good. What does the Rebel Alliance say to the latest move of our alien friends?"

"It could not have happened at a better time, my master. The Rebels were still hesitant about the annexation of their fleet, but the kidnapping of Princess Leia, combined with the HoloNet message, finally gave them the reason they needed to accept our conditions."

The Emperor nodded. "Very good. What about the Grand Admiral? I would hate to loose him to these barbaric parasites."

"The United High Command has planned a joint rescue operation. General Solo already volunteered."

The Emperor laughed humorlessly. "What a surprise. And who is our man? "

Vader hesitated, until now he had hidden Jixton from the Emperor, but he seemed to be the best choice by far. And now there was also another player on the field ...

"I thought about another Corellian, Gunnery Sergeant Jixton Wrenga."

**PP**

"Excuse me?"

The Rebel shook his head as soon as he had heard the question and then quickly stormed around the corner- into one of the main corridors, as if the devil himself was chasing him.

"Great" Jixton growled and made a 180 degree turn to look for an alternative victim. He still felt uncomfortable in his new Alliance uniform. Jix looked down to his shiny, black boots and he sighed heavily. He was a rebel now. His `uncle´ really must have a high opinion of this Thrawn…

Even though this was supposed to be a joint rescue operation, the Alliance had insisted on concealing Jixton's Imperial background to Solo, so that Jix had not only been forced change, but also to study `his´ curriculum vitae during the trip from Imperial City to Hapan. His head still hurt.

Jixton's eyes searched the hangar bay until they were fixed on an old Corellian freighter .

Was that the infamous Millennium Falcon? Jixton went up to the ship, touched its durasteel hull and finally risked a glance inside.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He suddenly heard a voice behind him.

Jix spun around and quickly conjured an innocent smile on his lips. Before him stood a broad-shouldered man in his early forties. He was tall, had brown hair and wore a white shirt with dark-blue trousers. Although the man wasn't young anymore and his boyish looks were slowly fading, he still had a well-toned body and frieze eyes, which told Jix that Han Solo was still an opponent to be reckoned with.

"General Solo?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Wrenga, Jixton Wrenge." Jix offered Solo his hand, which the other took hesitantly.

"I was assigned to be your new co-pilot."

"Oh yeah? But I already have a co-pilot. A damn good co-pilot. "

Jixton could feel Solo sizing him up suspiciously.

"What can I say? New High Command, new orders. I certainly did not volunteer for this suicide mission! I guess the Empire simply has its doubts when it comes to Wookies. "

Han looked down and sighed. Typical. Bloody Imperials! "What will happen to Chewbacca, then?"

"As far as I know, your co-pilot has already been reassigned. I'm sorry, Sir. "

Han snorted. "Yeah, me too." The day was getting better by the minute ...

"Do you know anything about the Falcon? Or, Corellian freighters in general? "

Jixton followed Han deeper into the ship and was soon faced by new dimensions of chaos.

"I only know what's in the file, Sir." Jixton raised on one of the many hydraulic screwdrivers from the floor and carefully put it aside. "Vader's boots, the engine-room looks like a battlefield… " Jix mumbled, but his comment did not go unnoticed.

"If my ordering-system bothers you, I believe you know your way out, Commander. As I said, I neither need or want a new co-pilot! "

Han obviously wanted to leave, but Jixton held him back. "Wait. I am sorry. I did not mean it like that."

Han stood in the cockpit's door and glared at the other Corellian.

"Yeah?"

"Look, I know how much you care for the Princess and I know you disagree with the decision of High Command, but shouldn't you at least give me a chance before rejecting my help?"

Han looked down and then back up to Jix.

"You are Corellian, right?" Jixton nodded.

„Good. You will have your chance then." Han reached out his hand again, this time with more enthusiasm.

"General Solo, but you better call me Han. I'm sick and tired of this whole military procedure. "

Jixton grinned and cheerfully took Solo's hand. "Jix. Pleased to meet you. "

 

**PP**

 

A WEEK LATER

"What are you doing?" Leia asked startled when she saw Thrawn throwing some of his blue crystal-stones into her cart.

"I think that it is doubtful that the Waarom will consider your `gender disadvantage´, should you not manage your daily workload."

Leia looked at her cart and then at the Admiral's. She was almost half a cart-load behind, but then again she was so tired.

"Thank you", she said in a faint voice. The whole situation was shameful and somehow Leia felt even more miserable than before. Each day seemed to be worse and the time in the mines passed far too slowly. Her limbs ached and the heat was as oppressive as ever. Her former white dress was now a barely recognizable grey, wet, sticky something and the sweat ran down her forehead, right into her eyes. And to make matters worse, she now also depended on someone else's help. Never to mention the annoying, little insects that were torturing her, day in day out. What a dreadful planet! Leia felt close to tears.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?"

Thrawn paused in his work and looked at her sympathetically. "Of course I do."

Leia carefully glanced over her shoulder and looked out for guards, as conversation among slaves was a punishable act.

"This is hell." She ran her palm over her forehead. "I'm not sure how much longer I can take this."

Thrawn focused again on the stone wall in front of him and struck it hard.

"There are worse things. At least you are not alone."

In the recent days and evenings, Leia had learned to read the Admiral better and now believed that there was more to this statement than what meet the eye.

"Have you ever been alone, Admiral?"

Thrawn exhaled deeply, ran his hand over his face and silently looked over to the Princess once more.

"You are good at reading people, Princess." He reached for their water bottle, took a sip and then handed it over to Leia.

"Yes, I have been alone. I have been alone for seven years, two months and thirteen days. The longest seven years of my life. "

Leia stared at the Imperial in horror. Seven years! How could anyone be alone that long without going insane?

"Sometimes I thought it would be better to die ... The Empire saved my life. In several respects."

It was hard to imagine that the Empire had ever saved anyone. Never mind a non-human.

His mouth turned up into a slight smile when he realized what was going through her head.

"Stranger things have happen in this galaxy."

"Seven years?" Leia asked, still astonished. "What happened?"

Thrawn sighed. "I am afraid that is a rather long story."

"I have time." Leia said and put some more stone into the cart.

"You see, my people, the Chiss, are warriors, but they are also bound by old-fashioned traditions and laws. Most of them would not even consider breaking them, even if it would lead to their destruction. They are very proud, rule-bound people…" He shook his head. "I had problems to except those rules, especially when they forced me to witnessothers' suffering, knowing full well that it was within my power to save them. Thus, I took matters in my own hands."

He looked at Leia and she saw sometime like grief appear on his face. "Actually, I am not sure how far I would have gone if I had not met Humans. Your way of thinking was different at first, but then I found myself intrigued." Thrawn started at the wall for a second. "Anyway, at first I was rather good in hiding my part in most of the military campaigns, but in the end I went too far by initiating a preemptive strike against a hostile slaver-race called the Vagaari for which I was later exiled on an uninhabited planet. It was a dreadful experience. In comparison, the situation here is excellent. There is not doubt in my mind that we will get of here, Princess. In fact, I think that ... Ouch!"

Thrawn made a face.

"Admiral?" Leia reached out for him with obvious concern. "Is something wrong?"

"It is nothing. Just the local insects. I believe one of the mosquitoes stung me." he explained, rubbing his back, so as to relieve the pain. "They are everywhere."

"Let me see," the Princess demanded. Thrawn hesitated and cocked a blue-black eyebrow at Leia, but then turned around and lifted his undershirt a little.

"This looks bad," she said after inspecting the wound. "We should wash it out. The little bugger has bitten, not stung, you."

"Do not worry. It is just a mosquito bite." he protested.

Typical man ... Leia shook her head and then sighed heavily. "No matter what is was, Admiral, in this climate you should avoid the risk of an infection."

Reluctantly, he nodded. "As I cannot see the wound myself I will have to trust in your evaluation of the situation...But let me assure you that I have survived far worse."

Leia reached for the water bottle, motioned for him to sit down on a nearby stone and then sat down behind him. "Take off your shirt."

Obediently the Chiss pulled his undershirt over his head and leaned slightly forward, which gave Leia unimpeded view of his back. She involuntary sucked in her breath when she got a first glace of his strong shoulders and the smooth, flawless light-blue skin. Silently thanking her governess for her good upbringing, Leia quickly looked away and then forced herself to focused on the task at hand. Gently she pored water over his lower back and carefully wash out the wound with the cleanest piece of clothes she could find. During the procedure neither of them spoke.

"That's it." She said after a while. Thrawn stood up and turned around to look at her inquiringly.

"Do all Princesses learn first aid?"

Leia felt her month going dry. Sith, that man was trained. His chest was bare and his muscles were clearly defined, moving underneath his skin with each movement. He looked like one of these old marbel-crafted statues… Luckily, he pulled his shirt back on before Leia's cheeks betrayed her thoughts. Then she laughed and stood up next to him.

"No, Admiral, they don't. For that you have to thank the general survival training of the Rebel Alliance," she said coquet.

"May that as it be..." Thrawn replied with a charming smile and then led her hand to his mouth.

"I prefer to thank you ... Princess."

**PP**

Jix was on his way to the Falcon. He had already spoken to High Command and, against his initial worries, they approved his `uncle´'s plan rather quickly. But how should he explain to Han where he had received this particular piece of information?   
A couple of hours ago Vader had contacted him and demanded that he and Solo should fly to specific coordinates deep within the Unknown Regions. Apparently, Imperial Intelligence had identified a suspiciously large Waroom fleet close to a desert planet, which was primarily used as a slave clamp. Vader had also provided him with a topographic map of the planet's surface, on which the slave mines were marked. If Thrawn and the Princess were there, they would find them. That much was certain.  
…

"And you're positive your mysterious source knows what he is talking about?" Han was still staring at the coordinates. "Because of if not, we are in trouble big time, mate. I have never been THAT far out. The force knows what could be out there."  
"Stop whining, Solo. You volunteered, remember? Can't you just do as you're told? Just once?"

"Not with my ship on the line, kiddo! She's all I have left."

Jix sighed. "It's not my decision, ok?… The information was passed on by the Imperials, that all I know."

"Oh, great. I'm feeling better already!"

"Look, Han. This is the best lead we have to find your Princess. Either we follow it or we just sit down and do nothing."

Han growled something unintelligible, but eventually gave in.

"Alright. Let's go then."  
Wrenga smiled and threw himself eagerly into the copilot's seat.  
"And? How far away is this unnamed planet ? "  
"Too far away for my liking. " Han reviewed some data and calculated their course. "But we should have enough food and energy for the trip. You better get comfortable, buddy. "

"Yes, Sir!"

 

**PP**

 

"Leia!" she heard her name and finally came back to her sense.

"Where…where am I?" She looked around, still disoriented. "Oh…"

"I am sorry I had to wake, Princess. You had a nightmare and I want to rest." Leia reached out for the blanket. It was so cold.

"Sorry. Thank you."

When she turned around she finally realized how close he was. He was standing on the ladder of their bunk-bed, looking down at her. His eyes were creepy, glowing red in the utter darkness. Leia swallowed. Was it just her imagination or was it darker than usual? She looked out of the window, but couldn't make it out. No moon today. Then she looked back at Thrawn. This eyes were redder, more alien at night and also his voice sounded different…. Leia felt a sudden knot in her stomach. He was a predator. She realized. Of course she had known that, but in this very moment it was more obvious than before. It was easy to forget at times, considering his cultured manners, but beneath all that, Thrawn was dangerous. Very dangerous. Maybe there were far more real things to fear here than whatever demons had pestered her in her nightmare.

"There is no need to fear me, Princess." Not for the first time Leia wondered if the Admiral was force sensitive. It was frightening to see how easily he could read her.

"I'm not afraid." Leia said steadily.

"Yes, you are. I this moment, you are." The eyes came closer and she felt how a hand brought one of her loose locks back into its place. She could see his face now, her eyes finally accustomed to the darkness. So close. Leia looked at him like she was paralyzed and her heart was beating madly in her chest. Alright , maybe she was a little afraid.

A glimpse of a simile appeared on his face.

"Goodnight, Princess."

"Goodnight, Admiral."

Sleep did not come easy to the Princess that night. If that was due to the nightmare or because of her cell mate she could not determine…

…

In daylight it was incomprehensible how Thrawn could ever have frightened her, as everything went back to `normal´. Still, she was certainly not she only one who was frightened by him. The other slaves left them suspiciously alone and something told her it was not because they were respecting their privacy. Leia looked around. Most of these creatures could single-handedly crash her. Did his reputation proceed him so far out? Probably not. And even a Grand Admiral was a relatively easy target without his fleet and the Waroom guards did not pay them special attention. So what was all this about?

"What did you do to them?" Leia ask finally.

"It took you longer than expected to figure that one out."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Admiral, but I'm only human."

"I like humans."

"With all their shortcomings, I'm sure." Leia laughed.

"In most human shortcomings there is strength as well. True, you are very strange creatures: Diverse and then all the same. Unpredictable and still animals of habit. Deceptive and loyal to the bone. You have the ability to lie to trick others or to save others from pain. You can hurt in order to kill or to save. You are rational beings, but still you can love and hate, both with irrational passion. You know what is right and what is wrong and still have to make your own decision. Not many creatures I have encountered have intrigued me like this. In other words: You are fun."

Leia looked at him in surprise. "Or just unbelievably complex and illogical. I would have thought you were one for clear, orderly, logical things ."

He threw another load of stones in the cart and then wiped the sweat from his forehead .

" The one does not have to exclude the other. And I am afraid you confuse order with boredom, Princess. Predictability and inflexibility are some of the human shortcoming I usually do not tolerate among my crew." By that Leia was not surprised.

"I see. Still you haven't answered my questions."

"You might not like the answer."

Leia cockedher head to the side and gave him a quizzical look, obviously waiting for an answer.

"As in every prison, the only way to halfway control your situation is either by muscles or with help of the black market. I choose the later option."

"A black market? For what?"

"Everything that is worth anything down here. Food, drugs, protection … sex."

Leia made a disgusted face. "Great. My cell mate is the local crime boss."

"Not that you expected anything else, of course."

"Of course." She smiled. So either the other slaves wanted something of him or they were afraid of him. A moment of awkward silence began.

"I am sure they simply handed it over to you." Leia said then, after a while.

"Yes, with a red bow and nobody got hurt."

She sighed. Beating around the bushed was surely not his thing, but then again she knew better than to ask again. He had probably killed his predecessor and she surely did not want to know how.

"How does it work? The black-market, I mean?"

"The transfer of goods usually happens at the well. Other transfers include corrupt guards."

Leia gaped at him openmouthed. "You bribe the guards? How? Can you talk to them?"

"I wish. Most of them speak basic. Broken, but they refuse to talk in their mother tongue and they are not very talkative." He looked around and shook his head. "Nothing down here is their own work, not even the mine. Expect their tattoos I've barely seen anything Waroom. It is a little frustrating."

"Maybe they were informed about your special talent."

He nodded. "That is the logical conclusion and there is nothing I can do about it. You on the other hand – Is there anything I can do for you? Now that you know my little secret?"

Leia shock her head. "No thank you. I know how black-markets work and I certainly won't support them."

"I am sure its your morals rather than your lack for tradable material speaking now, Princess."

…

The days passed and they seemed to get along alright. With some noticeable exceptions. The `weekly washing´ argument was one of them, as it was far from what Leia had expected it to be. It was best described as a collective, gender based bath in a small, muddy lake far down the mines.

"I do not want to bath with them again. The whole thing is embarrassing."

"I did not take you for a racist, Princess." Thrawn said from underneath her, both still in bed. They did not speak often, but when they did it was usually in the morning or, on rare occasions, in the evening.

Leia climbed down her bed and passed the room like a tiger.

"I will simply refuse to go with them… Have to seen the water?"

"Yes, I have and I find it sufficient, considering the circumstances. Besides, I would be far more concerned if there would not be a chance to wash every now and then."

"But…the guards." Leia looked down her body and then crossed her arms over her chest in a closing gesture. The thought alone that these creatures would see her naked made her shiver.

"What is the point of this? The situation is clearly beyond your control…Besides, Princess, against whatever you might think, you are not everyone's type." He said, his eyes roaming over her body as if eyeing a speeder on sale, while his voices remained as neutral as ever. Leia glared at him, the unspoken words an obvious blow to her vanity. He had been anything but pleasant to her since their arrival, then again old habits died hard.

"Naturally. I'm only the type of those with good taste."

"You seem very sure of yourself" he shot back with an overconfident expression on his face.

"I am. Rest assured, I am."

"As sure as you were when choosing Hoth for a Rebel outpost? Or Endor to end Palatine's reign?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Inside Leia was shaking with anger. Arrogant bastard!

"If you are quite done insulting me, please tell me why you put up with me in first place if you find me so repulsive?" she said, her voice rising.

"I `put up with you´ because you are my responsibility. We are allies now and the Emperor would not…"

"The Emperor?" Leia interrupted. "The Emperor is light-years away! Do you want to know what I'm thinking?"

"No, but I am sure you will tell me anyway." He said, finally getting out of bed.

"I think you are lying. I think that you care for me and that you're only trying to cover it up!"

"Stars…" He turned around to face her, seeing nothing but triumph in her eyes.

"I do not `care´ for you." He shook is head.

"I suggest you better go to your bath to cool down your overactive imagination, Princess."

Their eyes locked once more and Leia felt her heart beating, before someone opened the heavily steel door and motioned for Leia to follow him. Why did he always have to have the last word?

 

**PP**

 

Luke sat alone in the Executor's large briefing room and studied the depressing data of their last space battles with the Waroom once more, as the door suddenly opened and his father stepped in.

"I want you to witness his." He said and walked over to the com-station.

"His name is Jori Car'das, a well-known smuggler and one of Empire's bests Intelligence agents in his time. He disappeared over four years ago, leaving his company to Talon Karrde."

Luke nodded. He had heard of Car'das. "I thought he was dead."

"Everyone did. I wonder what information made him give up his early retirement."

A small, blue holographic figure of Car'das appeared on the round conference-table.

"Greetings, Lord Vader. Thank you for hearing me."

"Enough of the pleasantries, Car'das. My people tell me you come with great news?"

"I do, my Lord. I'm sure you know of my connections within the Unknown Regions and the to Chiss in particular?"

"I am aware. Though, I'm not sure how that is of any importance to me." The Dark Lord replied darkly.

"As far as I know you search for way to get rid of the Waroom, right? Well, I think the Chiss might help you there."

That was great news indeed.

"Proceed."

"During my time in Chiss-Space I have befriended some Chiss in high places - whose names will remain a secret of course - and yesterday I was informed that the Chiss started to prepare for a Waarom invasion some time ago…"

…

[A/N: The now following conversation between Car'das, Vader and Luke is heavily influenced by the scene in which Alpha-Red was introduced in Walter Jon Williams' "Destiny's way". In other words: The next paragraph is not really mine. With lots of greetings to Mr. von und zu Guttenberg ;)].

…

"…Apparently they encountered a lost Waroom ship years ago. They recognized them as a potential threat and ever since their xenobiologists and geneticists have investigated the Warooms' genetics " Car'das continued. "I have been told that they have located a unique genetic signature in the Warooms' DNA that is unknown in any plant, animal, bacterial, or viral life within our own galaxy."

"Are you saying that they have developed a weapon?" Vader asked impatiently and Luke could feel a hint of surprise within in father, followed by apprehension. Was this finally what they had been looking for?

"Indeed." Car'das confirmed. "They have a weapon. A biological, airborne weapon that is lethal to everything possessing the genetic signature of the Waroom. They call it `Alpha-Red´ and if it is efficiently delivered to the enemy, the menace would soon be eliminated. It is somehow designed to attach to the Warooms' genetic. There is a latency period of twenty-four hours in which they will feel no effects, but will be infectious and contaminate everyone and everything they contact. After that they will begin to break down on the cellular level-their living tissue will dissolve into a fluid, and even that fluid will be infectious. They will be infected by their ships. Their weapons. Their armor. Their food. Everything in their environment will carry the disease. Once the breakdown starts, the Waroom will be dead within a couple of days."

Luke let the horror sink in. Yes, they had to stop the Waroom, but not like this. This was dangerous.

"Biological weapons are notoriously capricious and we had no say in Alpha Red's development. I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"You obviously object to this plan?" Vader asked.

Luke looked at his father. "Yes, I do. The Jedi exist to preserve life. This slaughter of an entire species runs contrary to everything I believe in. Besides, we have no idea how the Chiss created this weapon and how reliable it is! And the Waroom have a formidable biological knowledge. Think about it, they do everything through biotechnology. How do you know they aren't ready for such an attack?"

"You forget that we are running out of options. People are dying out there, son."

Car'das sighed. "The weapon works." He said slowly and then made a pregnant pause. Car'das looked suddenly old and it was obvious that regretted something. He stared down on his hands, apparently still battling with himself about whether or not tell them. "I'm sorry to tell you this, as I've promised not to, but the Chiss have already tested the virus. It's against their law, so officially you'll find no record of this, but they captured some Waroom and successfully tested Alpha-Red on them. Their deaths were as painless and humane as possible." He put his hands on the table before him.

"I assure you that Alpha Red works. It will not end a tragedy."

"Our situation already is a tragedy." Luke said. "It the moment is looks like our only choice is between one tragedy and another."

"I prefer to make the Warooms' story the tragedy." Vader concluded.

Car'das nodded. "My thought exactly. The only problem is that the Chiss will never hand it over to the Empire. At least not willingly."

Vader lifted a hand to stop the other. "Let the Empire take care of that. Your loyalty will be rewarded, Car'das. Prepare to be to a rich man, a very rich man."

Car'das nodded. "Thank you, my Lord, Though I was not motivated by credits."

"And I never implied you were. Welcome back, Jori Car'das."

**PP**

The first thing Han Solo saw when leaving hyperspace, was a huge coral-ship, orbiting a yellow planet.  
"Kreth!"  
Jixton whistled impressed. "Wow! What a ship ... Probably a flagship – if the Waroom know the concept. Hmm ... I would say we better hide behind the planet's moon over there – before we find ourselves within their sensor reach. That should give us a tactical advantage. "  
Han nodded. "My thoughts exactly."  
Han entered some commands and the Flacon gracefully made its way behind the moon.

"I think we should name it after ourselves." Han starred at Jix.

"What? Have you lost your marbles? There's a whole fleet of Waroom out there and all you can think of is to name a sodding planet?"

"Oh come on! There has to be something good in this operation. Whoever discovers a new planet can name it. That's intergalactic law! Like this we would be immortal." Jix smiled broadly.

"I'm pretty sure that thing already has a name." Han replied dryly.

"Like what? `Slaver's paradise´? … Come on, it could be `Wrenga Prime´…or… `Wrenga-Solo-1 ´or …`Scoundrels' Refuge´ or …."

Han glared at his companion. "Stop it, Jix!" How could a single person be so annoying?

"Alright, alright. `Unnamed planet´ it is then. A bit long for my liking, but you're the boss."

"Thank the Force. And as your boss, I'm telling you now to look out for a good landing spot. I want to go down there as soon as possible…Alright, I'll get our equipment." With that Han lifted himself out of the pilot's seat and left.

…  
The ramp of the Millennium Falcon slowly lowered itself to the ground and a few seconds later Han and Jix experienced the sandy, boiling-hot desert climate for the first time.

"Here." Jix handed Han an additional water bottle. "You will need ...Man, what a heat!"  
Jix opened the transparent map Vader had given him and checked their position.

"We're about three hours from the mine." He looked around. "In… that direction" he said then and pointed North.

"Alright. Let's go."

Minutes seemed like hours and Han was sure that a bad sunburn was steadily growing on the back of his neck. After an hour they suddenly heard an strange noise.  
"An observation scout! Cover!" Han yelled, as he pointed to the rapidly approaching structures at the horizon and then hurried towards one of the grey rock formations that pierced through the sand dunes every now and then. But it was already too late. The scouts had seem them and opened fire on the rocks.  
"How could they find us here?" Han screamed, while helplessly firing some Blaster-salves in the air.  
"I have no idea! Either this is trap or their sensors a lot better than we expected. Not that it matters!"  
Before Han could reply another energy discharge hit the sand close behind them. Way too close.  
"Damn it! We are a perfect target in the middle of this kreffing desert! "Han fired again at the scouts, but without success. They were way too fast and also far out of range of a hand blaster. Still Han kept on firing.  
"It's useless, Han! I think we should surrender."  
Han stared at Jix. "Surrender? What's wrong with you today?"  
"You won't help your Princess if your dead, Han. There's no way out and quite honestly, I wouldn't mind if those guys would give us a lift." Jixton said as he held up his weapon as a sign of surrender and slowly left his hiding place. Solo followed his example reluctantly.

"Relax." Jix said and glanced over to Han. "Just trust me, ok ?"

Han grimaced, while still holding his blaster over his head. The scouts ceased fire and landed nearby. Subsequently, several Waroom stormed out and built up in formation, weapons ready. After what felt like an eternity, they walked towards them. "I have a really bad feeling about this." Han said looking over to his comrade in arms.

One of the bigger Waroom yelled something and then took their Blasters, handcuffed them and led them to one of the Scouts.

"Great rescue, Jix! And who is supposed to rescue us now? "

Soon after the alien ship took off…

Please Review :)


	4. Rescue

Leia starred at the perfect, red apple Thrawn had put on his bed.

"Where did you get that?" she asked suspiciously, her eyes never leaving the delicious fruit.

"What difference does it make?" the Chiss asked and with an arrogant smirk he unsheathed a second apple, biting into it powerfully. "The other one is for you." He said, pointing towards the apple on the bed. Leia glanced back at it, but still didn't move.

"Do you not want it?"

Alright, she wanted it. It was the best food she had seen weeks…but still it was wrong. And she had a reputation to keep. Their circumstances were bad, but that did not justify becoming bad in turn. For a brief second Leia wondered if this was his plan: Seeing how long she could live up to her morals when facing dire situations and being tempted. Stubbornly Leia smiled at the self-proclaimed devil's advocate. "I will accept your gift - if I know it's origin!"

"One of the other slaves gave it to me. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"He gave it to you?" Leia cocked an eyebrow. "I take it there was no … further encouragement…from your side? " she asked dryly.

"You are neither my conscience nor my psychiatrist, Princess. It is just an apple. Try not to make it more complicated than it is."

"Not, it's not just an apple. It's a matter of principle!" Leia shock her head violently.

"No, I do not want your gift, Admiral. This slave you blackmailed was just as hungry as we are. It was not fair."

He dismissed her ramblings with a quick wave of his hand. "Please spare me your morals and superior attitudes, Princess. It is easy looking down on others when growing up in an ivory tower. However, if it soothes your conscience, the slave obtained the apples by equally unfair business than I did. Life is not fair. Life is just…life."

"Of course it is." Leia barked. "As long as men like you use these unfair methods to prevail!"

"Men like me?" he repeated, sounding like a parrot. Thrawn gave her a dismissive glance.

"Whatever you are talking about, it is not the apple. "

Leia sight heavily. "In the last few days I thought I had come to understand you. Or at least started to understand you. I thought I could overcome my prejudices, to see that there's a person behind the hard façade of the Imperial Officer, but here you are - indulging yourself in the knowledge of other people's misery!"

Thrawn shook his head, apparently giving up, and then walked over to their bunk-bed, reaching for the second apple. "Well, if you do not want it."

He looked at her and then took a loud, enjoyable bite. Leia opened her mouth to protest, then reconsidered and simply stared at him with accusingly compressed lips.

"What? Since I am bad to the bone anyway, I am sure you expected nothing else. "

 

**PP**

 

"Get up. Lord Mulkrin wishes to see you. "

The guards roughly pushed Jix and Han in front of them. It was dark in the mine tunnels and Han's face was still partially swollen from his close encounter with one of the guards, so that he only noticed half of what was actually going on.

The two were brought into what looked like a throne room, a rather pretentious throne room. Astonished both men looked around and then stopped in their tracks when they heard Mulkrin's dark voice filling the room.

"Kneel down before your Lord, you worms!"

Reluctantly Jix followed the call, while Han was brought to the floor by a heavy blow to the knees.

He glared at Mulkrin. "Where is the Princess?" he demanded.

"And Admiral Thrawn?" Jix added hastily.

Lord Mulkrin came down from his thorn-like command chair and looked at the humans before him like studying animals in a zoo.

"You're not in a position to make demands, human!"

One of the guards hit Han directly in the face and the Corellian spat blood on the floor.

"Tell me how did you know where to find us?"

"Go crink yourself!" One of the bodyguards came forward to end the life of the one who had dared to insult his Lord, but Mulkrin stooped him, taking his gun.

"Tell me, or your friend will die." His eyes never left Han's as he pointed his blaster on Jix's chest.

Han grinned. "Oh come on. Can't you guys think of something new? I mean… "A sudden energy-burst stopped Han in mid-sentence and Jix went to the ground. He was dead.

"No! You kriffing piece of shit!" Han tried to free himself from the iron grasp of the Waroom guard, but without success.

"Why did you do that?"

"To remind you that the Waroom never bluff, human. Because I could. Because it would hurt you. Because we are strong. And you are not. "

Han swallowed, unable to draw his eyes from Jix's dead body.

"And now human, will you answer my questions."

 

**PP**

 

(Warning! The now following part includes mature material. Therefore the author of this story hereby politely asks readers under 18 to leave this page or simply to skip to next chapter.)

…

Leia was still awake in her bed. She really had lost it tonight, behaving like a small child. Actually, she hadn't been that mad at Thrawn, but rather at their entire situation in general. He had just been he only lightning-rod in sight.

Leia yawned, climbed out of bed and then searched for the water bottle downstairs. After she had found it, she sat down on the cold stone-floor, with her back against the wall, taking a sip in the dim moon-light.

She had been unfair. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Thrawn had done her more than one favor during their time here.

She looked at the sleeping figure before her. He looked rather nice when he was asleep ... Leia shook her head. Where in the galaxy had that come from?

Well, Thrawn was attractive… and quite charming if he wanted to be. Leia remembered his shirt-less form well and the way he had made her fell, when he had kissed her hand. In that moment she had been afraid her legs might deny their service after all. Leia smiled. He certainly had his moments. Still in thoughts, she sat the bottle down, got up and wanted to climb back up the stairs, when she suddenly stopped, walked over to him and sat down on his bed. Wordlessly she looked at his sleeping form. She had done him wrong and she would apologize to him tomorrow. He was an Imperial Officer, but above all he was a man. A man with many good and endearing qualities. Thrawn seemed to be a decent guy, deep inside him. And he used his genius as he believed was best for the galaxy. Just like she did. For Leia the Empire stood for violence and oppression, for him it was a promise of order and security as well as personal liberation.

Leia shook her head. She must have gone completely mad! Since when did she try to understand him? Since when was she attracted to him?

The princess shut her eyes to the bitter truth. She was attracted to him. And it felt as if she was cheating on Han. She loved Han ... and yet she was attracted to Thrawn ... It was wrong. She should hate him. He was arrogant, presumptuous and self-righteous. He was a scoundrel ... Well, maybe not a scoundrel. Han was a scoundrel ... ... ... Thrawn was …Oh, to Hoth with it! Who was she kidding? Grand Admiral Thrawn was ... malicious, treacherous, deceitful and scheming. He was evil. Wasn't he? How much of what she thought she knew was based on Rebel propaganda? What if ... no ... Thrawn was their enemy. She should despise him and not ... Damn! Was it the Skywalker blood in her, that drove her to him? Oh stars ... This was crazy!

Thrawn was still sleeping soundly, his bare chest rhythmically moving up and down. Leia felt her gaze once again resting on his form and it horrified her how desirable he was. Now, in this moment. His angular face, which usually displaced nothing but confidence and will power, appeared softer in his sleep, while his broad shoulders and firm stomach looked oddly appealing. Leia felt an peculiar knot in her stomach and not for the first time she wondered how it would feel if she were to touch him. The mere thought made her blush. Only one way to find out. She knew she was playing with fire when she finally bent down and kissed him.

A mephistophelian smile came to his lips when he slowly returned her kiss. When he opened his eyes, her face was just inches above him. "That, Princess, was ... unexpected. Though not unwelcome." His left hand reached for her face and his thumb went slowly down her rosy cheek, while his right pulled her slim figure down upon him. Thrawn studied her face for a second, but when Leia tried to close the distance between them once more, he suddenly pulled away.

"Are you quite sure you know what you are doing? Because to me it looks like the Alderanian Princess along with all her morals and principles is about to make love to a ruthless Imperial Officer?"

His question obviously startled her and Thrawn sighed, leasing the air he had been holding.

"Look at me" he said then and tilted her chin up, so that their eyes met. "I am not a nice man. You know that. And if you `offer´ yourself to me the way you just did…" He shock is head. "I will not say no. But neither will I apologize for it in the morning. I am one of the bad guys."

Leia closed her eyes and smiled at his words. It was a nice gesture and more than she had expected of him. "I am aware." she said softly, her lips gently touching his again. "I want you."

He did not need further encouragement. His kisses were passionate and his eyes clearly shone with desire now and Leia gloried in the knowledge that she had caused this desire. That she had this power over him. But Thrawn was no one who liked to subdued the power of others' and so he provocatively pulled the woman on top of him closer, prodded his tongue into her mouth and used the moment of her weakness to turn her around and press her the pillow beneath him.

Leia lost any sense of time and place and gave herself entirely to her instincts. There was only Thrawn: His taste, his smell and his voice, that occasionally whispered words in a foreign language in her ear. Then he pulled away from her and when Leia looked up at him again, she felt her mouth go dry. Never had she seen such an attractive man. She felt herself blushing, as another rush of desire raced through her body. Still, this was it. She knew it. There was no turning back now. Leia could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, as he kissed her once more and then parted her legs gently. Tenderly he stroke the insides of her sensitive thighs, before positioning himself between them. Their lips met one final time and then he entered her.

"Oh my God…" Leia moaned, overwhelmed by the sensation of him inside her. He kissed her even more passionate now and with a hunger that astonished her, while her legs automatically wrapped around his hips, encouraging him. Being in his arms, she quickly got lost in him and followed all his desires and moves without question. It did not take long until an earth-shattering orgasm ran throw her quivering body, relieving her of the unbearable tension. Her whole body tightened around him and when she finally came, it was like she would burst from the inside – never before had she felt this strongly. A fact, that stunned and scared her at the same time. He came shortly after and somehow Leia knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

**PP**

It was still dark outside when Leia woke up. Her neck was stiff from sleeping in the far too small bed and she was cold. No wonder, she was still naked and her clothes were scattered all over the floor. Great! No one ever thought around these things, but once it was over, it was a real annoyance. Thrawn moved next to her as he felt her leaving.

"Sorry, I'm cold." He briefly glanced at her and then went back to sleep.

Leia smiled and then quickly gathered her things from the ground. Should she go back up? Leia grinned. So much for romance. No, she couldn't really do that.

So she climbed back into bed and snuggled herself in, next to him, her head resting somewhere between his arm and his chest. Some minutes later she felt her `pillow´ moving though.

"Leia?"

"Hmm."

"I am afraid I cannot feel my arm anymore…We do have two beds, you know?" Leia laughed.

"Very subtle, Admiral. Did you know, you were sleeping on my hair for the better part of the last hour?"

"Did you know, you stole my blanket?"

Leia laughed. "Stars!…This really isn't comfortable, is it?"

"No. At least not like this."

Leia lifted herself and Thrawn used the chance to pull away. He grimaced while he massaged his biceps. "This really hurts."

"Poor boy." Leia smiled at him. Gosh, he was handsome.

"Do you really want to me to leave?"

He studied her face for a second. "No." He lay down again and told her to turn around, before he pulled her back to his chest and put his arms around her, gently kissing the crook of her neck. Leia sighed and closed her eyes when she felt the heat of his body warming her back. This was nice and oddly comforting. Leia smiled at the thought, but once the endorphins wore off, she started to wonder about the `what ifs´. This surely would complicate things somewhat - and the situation was already complicated enough! What would happen once they were rescued? He would probably act as if nothing had happened. Leia bit her bottom lip. She really shouldn't care. Sith, if last night was any indication, he probably had had a great many women and she was only one of them.… It didn't matter! It had been good and she loved Han. There! Leia smiled, but the smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. How could she love Han and then give herself so completely to someone else? Actually this was another reason to worry, the act had been properly `consummated´ so to speak…but considering all the facts the odds were slim at best. Leia turned around and looked at him. Was she a bad person because of this? She had cheated on Han. But then again she was not bound to him in any legal way. Still, now she felt bad about. A bit late for that… On the other hand, it had felt so right. Oh, this was just great! And all so confusing! Or maybe she was just too tried. Yes, that had to be it.She needed rest and with that Leia fell asleep again.

**PP**

Leia turned to the wall on her right. By now she had learned by which means she would achieve the desired result. Her gaze then darted to Thrawn, who worked silently at her side. They never talked about it. Not after their first night together and neither after those that had followed. She shook her head. It was still too new and too complicated to fully understand it yet. Was she his lover? His friend? Confidante? Or merely his toy? A distraction? Or just nobody? She didn't know and neither would she ask. The real question however was: Did she love him? Sometimes, in her darkest moments, Leia was afraid she might. Whenever she thought of him, she felt an odd knot in her stomach and then they were together…well … Leia felt herself blush. She didn't believe that he loved her though, she wasn't even sure if he was capable of love. He was far too controlled and only on rare occasions permitted something like `affection´ to betray the impassive mask he wore so well. Leia sighed. Truth was, that she was sleeping with a man she might have feelings for, but could never have. 

**PP**

"You!"

Leia spun around in alarm. Where had the guard come form? Had she really been that lost in her thoughts? Apparently so.

"You will come with me. Lord Mulkrin wishes to see you. "

Leia looked up in panic. "Why? What does he want from me? "

The Waroom punished her with a quick energy blast of his Vibrolance.

"Be quiet, slave! Or this will help you find your place!" He forcefully gripped her arm.

"Stop it!" Thrawn yelled, but two energy blasts easily brought the Chiss to the ground.

"Thrawn!" Leia tried to free herself from the alien's durasteel-grip, but this turned out to be a futile exercise and the guard only laughed at her weaknesses, while dragging her to his Lord.

 

**PP**

 

"Han!" Leia wanted to run towards him, but was held back by the guard and bounced hard against his armor. Then she glanced at Han. He looked horrible. What had they done to him? Were was dried blood on his left cheek and all over his collar and he was chained to the floor.

"There she is, human. Alive and well. Now it is up to you to fulfill your part of the deal."

Han hesitated.

Deal? What kind of deal? Leia stared at her friend.

"What is it you are waiting for?" Mulkrin asked and got up, to underline his anger.

"This!" Han spun around and disarmed one of the guards that had respectfully bowed to his Lord. The alien weapon was now directed at Mulkrin.

"You wouldn't dare. The minute I die, the Princess will die as well." Mulkrin gestured to the second guard that now aimed at Leia.

Han hesitated and Lord Mulkrin grinned diabolically at Leia.

"Oh yes, it certainly would be a shame." he said casually, walking down from this command chair and then touched Leia's arm. "She might even become beautiful." Leia pulled away from him and spat in his face.

"I already told you to stay away from me!"

Mulkrin laughed. "Charming." Then he brutally turned her arm over, revealed a knife and brought it dangerously close to her throat.

"You know I will not hesitate to hurt her, so put aside your weapon. "Leia moaned softly as the knife slightly pinched her delicate skin, blood running down her neck.

Han cursed, but then put the alien blaster on the floor. Almost immediately the guard snatched it up again and roughly brought Han to the ground instead.

Han's face was twisted in pain, as Mulkrin smiled down on him, obviously enjoying the show.

"It has always been one of humanities greatest weakness – their worry for others. I should have known that you would betray me for her. Pity. But in the end it makes no difference. " Lord Mulkrin looked at Leia.

"I might have misjudged you, though. You are brave and have more fighting spirit than the average human female. Your sons will be great warriors. Maybe I should keep you for myself - as a trophy." He smiled down at Han. "What do you think, Solo?… After a proper embellishment of course. "

Mulkrin laughed when he saw Han's expression. Then he tightened his grip around Leia's arm and pulled her towards the exit.

"No, Princess, you stay with me." Leia struggled, but Mulkrin held her with an iron grip.

Han pulled at his chains, and then the reaming guard hit him with another energy burst so that the Corellian fell hard on the floor.

Suddenly he heard another, loud burst and saw the guard crushing down beside him - missing him by mere centimeters. When he turned around, he looked directly into Thrawn's face.

"Everything alright, General?"

"Perfect timing, Thrawn. As usual. How did you get here? "

"All in good time, General."

Thrawn aimed again, this time on Han's chains. After a small explosion of melted metal, he helped Han up and handed him the guards blaster. "Thanks. Mulkrin took Leia. We have to stop him!"

Thrawn nodded. "I know. I saw them. He will try to reach the surface to get to his shuttle. The next exit is located in the north of the mines. This way. "

Han felt terrible and every single bone in his body seemed to hurt. To make matters worse there was no trace of Leia yet and these never ending tunnels looked al the same to him. Suddenly they reached a door.

"We have reached our destination, General. Get ready."

…

...

The first thing Leia saw when the door opened was the space shuttle and the blaster-salves Han and Thrawn fired at them. Apparently, they had gotten here first. The Waroom guard that had been with them, went down first and Lord Mulkrin was so stunned by the sudden turn of events, that Leia used the chance to ram her elbow into his stomach, before pushing the weapon from his hand. Mulkrin went to the ground, and with that escaped a deathly slave from the Admiral. He quickly covered behind some cargo boxes and searched for his mini-blaster in his left boot. When he saw the Princess flee, he aimed for her back and Leia's body loudly crushed to ground .

"Leia!" Han yelled, but there was no answer.

Both men looked at her lifeless form in the no-man's-land before them.

"Thrawn! Give me cover! I'll get the Princess! "

Thrawn nodded and fired almost non-stop at the box, behind which the Waroom Lord was hiding, while Han ran to Leia.

Force, let her be alive!

Solo knelt down beside her and checked her faint pulse. A sigh of relieve escaped his lips and then Han pulled the princess up, swung her over his shoulders and returned to Thrawn.

…

They had to get out of her soon, before the reinforcement showed up. Thrawn caught sight of Leia, who was now peacefully resting in Solos arms. They made a good couple and it was obvious that Solo cared for her. At least it was more than pure physical attraction to him. She was lucky to have him. He winced at the thought. He knew lust and passion - both selfish and dishonest – but love...the kind of love a man should feel for this wife...he did not know. Lust, however, often faded quickly and lacked emotion, and only sometimes, on rare occasions, gave way to love…. He was not indifferent to Leia, and therefore the sight before him troubled him a little. But he also did not believe in soul-mates or love at first sight. He cared for and desired her, but didn't love her. In his opinion love, like a true friendship, needed time to grow and that they would probably never have.Suddenly a powerful energy discharge stuck the mountain formation right next to his head. Sith! This was not the time to ponder about this particular folly!

…

Once the mini-blaster denied its service, Mulkrin left his hiding-place in order to obtain the blaster Leia had previously pushed from his grasp. A grave mistake as it turned out, because the Admiral's shot did not miss its target this time. It was a perfect hit, right into the Waroom's head.

Thrawn cocked an eyebrow and turned to his comrade in arms.

"Do you think you can fly this ship, General?"

Han grinned at the Chiss. "Han Solo can fly everything."

 

**PP**

 

The Waroom ship was more difficult to control than Han had expected, especially so as he couldn't read the language, but sticking to the `trial and error' principle, the Corellian quickly found out which button controlled what.

"Something just started blinking over there!" Thrawn pointed to the console on his left.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Admiral. I'll take care of the ship and you better take care of THEM!" Han pointed to the approximately fifteen fighters coming towards them."As long as this thing flies, I don't care about the blinking."

"And how exactly shall I `take care´ of those interceptors?"

"You are the genius, figure it out! Quickly!

Thrawn scanned the cockpit, not looking too confident. "Stars, Solo - I can not simply ..."

"Yes, you can!"

"What if I accidentally turn off the life support systems? Or initiate the self destruct mechanism? In case you do not know, I am not of those who base their decisions on their gut feeling!"

"Thrawn! They are getting closer! "

Thrawn shook his head, these labels could mean anything. If one was to apply rational thinking, this might be a good position for the weapons' console, as it proved a good view and one could easily aim. The mechanism in front of him resembled a joystick to some extent as well ... Well, it was now or never… Thrawn reached out for the joystick - and the ship suddenly made a 180 degree turn.

"Have you gone nuts?"

"I told you I do not know what it says!"

In basically the last second Han tore the ship around again, only seconds before it collided with one of the Waroom fighters.

Well, this had not been the switch he had been looking for. Maybe this one. Thrawn reached for another mechanism that also resembled a standard joystick. Suddenly something shot out of the ship and enclosed his hand and lower arm like a second skin. Words in a language Han did not known filled the room, but he did not have to understand them, to know what they meant.

"Don't panic. These vessels are partly organic. "

"Sorry, but the part I should not worry about escaped my notice." The Chiss hissed and stared down at his arm, which now seemed to be part of the console. Damn! Nevertheless, Solo was right - panicking served no one. If the ship really was partially organic, it was only logical that it tried to connect on some level. Maybe…Thrawn closed his eyes, focused and fired.

"That's it! That's it! You've found it! But you could improve on your target shooting skills!"

"Patience, Solo. This is different from everything I have seen so far." Nevertheless, it did not take long until Thrawn had understood the system and destroyed the fighters.

 

**PP**

 

"Lord Vader, a Waroom ship just jumped out of hyperspace." Piett stated, not showing the nervousness he felt.

"What is its status?"

"It is alone and drifts in space. Actually, it appears likes the pilot either does not know what to do, or simply lost control of the vessel. We have tried to establish communication, but without success. Shall we open fire? "

The ship was alone? Maybe this was a trap. Vader reached out with the force and soon found the reason for enemy ship's atypical behavior.

"Activate tractor beam, Admiral. Grand Admiral Thrawn seems to have succeeded in seizing the ship, though communications still denied their service."

Suddenly a noise fill the bridge.

"Sir, the Waarom ship has opened a communication channel. "

"On speaker, Lieutenant."

…

"... have you pushed now?"

"Well, THAT one. It stopped blinking. That's what you wanted, isn't it? "

"But now it blinks on the other side! So would you please be so kind and STOP pushing random buttons!"

"Oh come on, if we had done it your way, we would probably still be in Waroom space, Admiral! By the way, why didn't you use your time with the Waroom to pick up some useful words and phrases? That would have come in handy!"

"Solo, stop irritating me and go to your girlfriend before you get us both killed. Solo, I warn you, do NOT touch ... "

…

The transmission ended as abruptly as it had started and Piett could not help but grin.

"I will receive the Admiral and Captain Solo in the backboard hangar bay, Sir."

 

**PP**

 

Finally!

"Admiral Piett, you have no idea how glad I am to see you." Piett saluted his superior, who repeated the gesture while passing.

"No, but I can imagine. If you allow me saying so, Sir, you look terrible." Thrawn gave a short laugh.

"Yes, I guess I do. Are you the commanding officer? "

"No, Sir. The Executor is currently under Lord Vader's command and he wishes a full status update."

"Did he say when?" Piett shook his head. "No, but he is not a patient man." Thrawn nodded. "I understand. I will retire to one of the guest quarters, take a shower and then be on my way to the bridge as soon as possible." He pointed to the ship behind him.

"General Solo and Princess Leia are still on board. The Princess is unconscious and requires immediate medical attention." He made a short pause. "Get Solo one of the guest quarters in the lower decks. I want him to help us to investigate this Waroom ship, as some of its functions are already familiar to him. Therefore, he will be granted restricted mobility, but he will be under constant surveillance, of course. Additionally, I want a linguist down here to decode the language."

"Yes, Sir. I will see to it…and welcome back."

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	5. The Chiss Ascendancy

Vader was intrigued, the Grand Admiral had given his report in an effective, logical and orderly fashion and while he had shown no sign of disrespect, he also did not appear to fear the Sith. The air of confidence that the Chiss seemed to carry like a second skin, was surely a rare sight in his subordinates and the Dark Lord was not sure just how comfortable he was with it. But then again the time to test his inexpressive attitude had come.

"During your absence, the Empire's finest scientists have tried to develop a biotoxin against the biological parts of the Waroom ships. Unfortunately, their success has been limited. The ship which you have captured might prove a useful test-object for them. Nevertheless, I am certain you can do more than that."

Vader plugged a data stick into the console and a few moments later it began generating a holographic display of schematics in a well-known language.

"The Empire has been informed that the Chiss had the same idea, only some years earlier. Apparently, they finished their toxin just in time. It is called `Alpha Red´. "

An alien DNA structure was projected on screen now. Suddenly a pink polymerase appeared, flew over the DNA-template, read it and consequently rewrote the DNA into another nucleic acid format. "Apparently it breaks down their living tissue on the cellular level." Vader pointed to the polymerase.

"We have been in contact with Csilla ever since, but the government refuses to sell the toxin or the formula needed to create it. They categorize `Alpha Red´ as an `incomplete and unstable biological weapon´ and are afraid that their help my direct the Waroom's wrath upon them. Our people, however, assure me that `Alpha Red´ has been successfully tested and is ready to use."

Thrawn eyes narrowed in concentration, hands folded together, he contemplated the next step. "I see. This is typical for the Chiss. They… try to avoid provocation, even if evidence suggests a different course of action…The loss of human life will not burden their conscience much either."

The glimpse of a smile appeared on his face. "The Chiss are in no way inferior to humans when it comes to alien-phobia and narcissism. The ruling families will never give you `Alpha Red´ willingly."

The screen went black and Vader's eyes seemed to pierce the Admiral.

"Tell me, Admiral, why was the Chiss Ascendancy never integrated into the Empire?"

"Because it would be more of a hassle than it would be beneficial." Thrawn said. "The Chiss would never accept foreign occupation and government. It would be a never-ending struggle with a second Rebellion in the Unknown Territories as a possible outcome. We do not have to fear them, due to their long pacifistic tradition and with time they can no longer afford to ignore the Imperial presence and its growing influence. It will start with simple trade agreements and end with a proper Imperial embassy. To force ourselves upon them would be counter-productive. "

"Nevertheless, is the Chiss Ascendancy no the greatest power in the Unknown Regions? And is their fleet, however small it may be, not our equal in parts? Does that not classify them as a potential enemy? Or as a possible alley for the Rebel Alliance in case Csilla feels threatened by the growing Imperial presence?"

Thrawn knew where this conversation was heading and he did not like it one bit. "Possibly."

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, you have proven your worth to the Empire on several occasions and therefore I chose not to intervene with your Chiss policy, but if your people deny their help in this crises, I swear I will personally transform their little region of space into another Imperial sector."

Thrawn appeared to be unmoved by the Sith's words, but was not. Csilla was his home. The planet and its colonies which he had sworn to protect with his life…but now he worked for the Empire. He had always known that sooner or later his past would catch up with him and that the Chiss would have to change in order to prevail, however he had somehow hoped that he would not have to play an active part in this change.

"If Csilla were part of the Empire, we would not face this problem now, Admiral. Only the stars know how many creatures will die, because of the choices you made."

Silence filled the room. "Because of you, our contacts to Csilla are virtually non-existing. Hardly anyone speaks their language or understand how they work. Except you, of course, and therefore you will get me `Alpha-Red ´. Think of it as compensation for previous neglect. The future of the Chiss Ascendancy is in your hands, Admiral."

**PP**

Csilla was far from the Core, though suddenly it felt as if it could never be far enough. Grand Admiral Thrawn stood at his quarters' large window and looked at the stars, which peacefully passed him in their strip-like form. He sighed. The nine ruling families had banished him years ago and within Chiss society his name was spoken with contempt only. There had been times when thoughts of revenge had fueled his mind, but these times were long since over. The Chiss were still a part of him, although he hadn't been on Csilla for decades. Nevertheless, the thought of walking the streets of his home and speaking the language of his ancestors' again, left him with a feeling of anxiety. The Empire had given him a second chance and he had used it well. Therefore, there should be no doubt about where and with whom his loyalty truly lay. But still, Csilla was home, the place where he had grown up and where his family lived. This mission might very well turn out to be his final trial.

…

A beep filled the room. "Bridge to Grand Admiral Thrawn."

Thrawn reached to the nearby comlink and opened the channel.

"Thrawn here."

"Admiral, we will reach Csilla in 0.5 parsec."

"Understood. Inform Captain Pellaeon that I am on my way." Thrawn casually snatched the white uniform jacket from the chair over which it had hung and walked to the exit.

The game was on.

…

A fleet thirty Star Destroyers, sixty strike-class cruisers, and a hundred carrack-class cruisers appeared out of nowhere and circled Csilla, a shiny white planet of glaciers and snowy wastes; the capital of the Chiss Ascendancy.

Thrawn motioned the communications officer to open a channel.

"This is Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera. On behalf of his Majesty Emperor Palpatine, I hereby request to speak before the Council of Families in hope obtain the biotoxin `Alpha Red´. Please acknowledge."

"Unidentified vessels of different form and sizes approaching from all sides, Sir." Pellaeon stared nervously on the tactical display.

"Do not worry, Captain. The Chiss consider themselves to be far too noble to start a fight. As long as we do not make the first move, neither will they. "

The alien spacecrafts quickly formed a defense-ring around the planet and soon the ships were facing at each other, all of them waiting for further instructions.

"Sir, incoming transition from the planet's surface."

"Very good, Lieutenant. Put it on screen."

An elder Chiss with white hair and a beard appeared on the view-screen. He sat behind a desk in what looked like a private office and was dressed in a long, yellow robe. An expansive looking outfit, that was accompanied by a long, golden necklace with a reddish medallion in front of it. It was obvious that he was not pleased with the current turn of events and his red eyes became smaller when they met Thrawn's.

"Mirrth'raw'nuruodo, te de bella akunta no bodo. Ti Kessa aseesa kaki. I essa Tues Paltapine to fasstek! "

"Basic please, with respect to my crew." The older Chiss starred at Thrawn.

"No Kissa tues Basic."

Thrawn shook his head slightly. "Ge hotta un paltee. Pe tarr." Then he turned to the communications' station.

"Cut the connection, Lieutenant Thomson." All of a sudden the screen went black again.

Pellaeon hadn't understood a single word, expect Thrawn's name, but the body language of the older Chiss spoke volumes.

"I take it you know him?"

Thrawn nodded. "Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano. He is a representative of the fifth ruling family, the Chaf family. Their color is yellow; therefore the yellow rope he is wearing. The Chaf family mostly deals with politics and diplomacy." Thrawn smirked a little. "And as the title suggests our dear friend is an aristocrat and was therefore `born to rule´. His proud attitude and dislike of everything foreign might be the result such an elitist upbringing. I told him to get an interpreter." Thrawn sighed and then looked at Pellaeon. "Do not be deceived by his behavior, Captain. Despite is shortcomings Arsitoca Chaf'orm'bintrano is quite clever."

"I understand. I… take it you are not particularly fond of him."

"A mutual feeling, I assure you."

Pellaeon wondered, not for the time, about his superior. He had served under him for quite some time now, but know almost nothing about him or his past or his people in general. If the Chiss had aristocrats…maybe their society was still that of a monarchy. Based on birth, instead of ability. Who would have thought?

"With all due respect, Sir. We are under enormous time-pressure and we are talking about your mother-tongue. I am sure the Emperor would not object if the negotiations would be held in…"

"Cheunh" Thrawn helped out.

"…Cheunh. I remember at least two Imperial treaties with the Trade Union that were formed in an alien language. "

Thrawn shook his head. "No, Captain. This is a fight and if we want to win it, then we have to dictate the terms and put the government under pressure. The bureaucracy and the jealousy of the houses of Csilla are one of their main weaknesses. Moreover, the Chiss have to understand the seriousness of their situation and the result of their isolation policy… Humans and Chiss are very similar, Captain. Both consider themselves to be superior to other races, but while Humanity went to space in order to discover other cultures and new civilizations, the Chiss decided it would be best to simply ignore all these 'inferior' life-forms. Therefore, Humans not only expended their territory and influence over time, but also expended their knowledge with the achievements of other cultures, whereas the Chiss simply missed their chance. A fatal mistake that will catch up with them now."

…

A few minutes later a young girl stood next to the Aristocra. She seemed to be nervous and looked down on her data-pad for most of the time. Shortly after Formbi had finished his first sentence, she began with the translation.

"The honorable Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, representative of the fifth ruling house of Csilla said that `It has been far too long´ might be the appropriate thing to say, but that it would also be a lie. However, he is happy to see you have found friends who, by the looks of it, appreciate your methods."

Thrawn remained untouched. "I also have not come to exchange pleasantries. Tell him that I seek the ear of the Council."

The girl translated again and Formbi already shook his head before she had finished.

"The honorable Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano said that the Council will not hear you. They already told the former Imperial diplomat that we have no intention of selling `Alpha Red´. This fact will not change, just because Palpatine choose to bring an invasion force along this time."

"It would be unwise to refuse the Emperor." Thrawn warned.

"The honorable Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano disagrees. The Chiss are not at war with the Waroom and do not intend to give them a reason to start one. "

"That strategy did not work the Varaagi, what makes you think that it will work with the Waroom?"

"This is the way of the Chiss." For the first time, the interpreter forgot about the Aristocra's title.

"Then the way of the Chiss is a foolish one. You lost thousands and could have saved just as many if you had chosen to intervene in time. Why make the same mistake twice?"

"The honorable Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano said that your humans friends are of no concern to us. From what the Chiss have heard about them, they decided that they are better off without them."

Thrawn took a step forward. "Are you implying that the Council withholds the virus so that the Waroom can eradicate humanity?"

Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano smiled. "The Aristocra said that you made it sound too negatively. The primary goal of the Council of Families is to prevent a war, the destruction of a powerful, potential enemy along the way would be nothing but a small bonus."

"For a government that claims to be peace-loving, it shows little sympathy."

Formbi was obviously enjoying their conversation and lay back in his chair, while playing with his necklace.

"The Aristocra does not understand your disapproval. He said that you of all people should be happy about this course of action, as you have always been the one promoting preventive strikes, and - from a certain point of view – the Chiss are doing just that. Only without making their hands dirty."

"Tell him that I will not allow this to happen." Thrawn said softly. "Tell him not to force me to invade Csilla in order to obtain `Alpha Red´. The days of Chiss autonomy would be over. We only want the virus's formula to save uncountable beings from suffering and dying and it is only a matter of time before the Waroom will turn on Chiss as well. The Emperor is willing to pay for the information and you would never see us again. If you make a mistake now, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano , I promise you, it will be your last."

Formbi looked at the younger Chiss. Would he really do it? Strike against his own people? He had never liked Thrawn, though he had not thought him capable of betraying his people and breaking his oath in such a radical fashion.

"The Aristocra is thankful that it was not his decision to make. He regrets to inform you that the Council of Families denied your request and voted with an overwhelming majority against helping the Empire. If your Emperor does not like their verdict, he may try to conquer the Chiss, but be warned - we are willing to fight and die for our autonomy and our traditions."

"This conversation is at an end then. I am sorry."

**PP**

The sun was warm and it felt wonderful. Leia sat on her balcony chair and painted her toes shiny pink; while she wore her sunglasses and was cuddled in a soft, white morning gown. How good it felt to be back! No one except a woman could understand the pure joy and comfort of a long bath and taking care of yourself afterwards. The smell of shower gel, body lotion and the cream stimcaf that stood right next to her, were hanging in the air and Leia simply enjoyed the moment. It was almost too good to be true. Then she looked down at the shiny, white packet with the light-green bow that had been delivered this morning. `To bring back your appetite. T.´ was all the small attached card said. Leia smiled when she opened the packet. Alderaanian chocolate cup-cakes! She did not recall how often she had wished for Alderaanian chocolate cup-cakes during their stay in the mines, but obviously one time too often. The day was getting better by the minute! Slowly she lifted the first cup-cake, removed the paper and took a bite. Gosh, this was heaven! Granted, food had always been good, but not before one had experienced real hunger, one could appreciate the almost divine part of it. Leia had no idea how much she had eaten on her first day back…and that had only been the canteen food of a Star Destroyer (A/N: If you know Eddie Izzard, you will appreciate that I mentioned Imperial canteens. Yes, they do exist! At least in my universe ;). Leia touched the card and briefly wondered how he was. She hadn't seen him since their return…. Leia sighed. Suddenly the doorbell rang.

…

"Luke!" Leia beamed at her brother and pulled him into a tight embrace."It's good to see you again! How are you? What have I missed during my absence?"

Luke took a deep breath. So much had happened in the time Leia had been captured, so that he didn't know where to start.

"Well, many things and at the same time nothing at all. Admiral Piett and Vader made it their priority to create a lethal virus against the Waroom. I was at the BioLabs on Faaleen for a short time myself, but unfortunately, our efforts were in vain. It was terrible - we sent one Trojan horse after the other to the Warroom ships, but the viruses never affected their systems. A lot of people died; I'll spare you the details... but there's finally light at the end of the tunnel. We found out that the Chiss have a biological weapon that might work. Naturally, we sent our diplomats there immediately and now Thrawn's on his way to close the deal. Apparently, the Chiss are not too enthusiastic about sharing their invention."

"Thrawn's on Csilla? But…I thought they had banished him!" Leia asked, obviously surprised by the fact that he was already on the other side of the galaxy.

"I'm not sure if he's already there, but he's certainly on his way. Vader equipped him quite an entourage to make sure the Chiss won't deny the Empire's request again." Luke smirked. "With such

a large fleet in tow, they couldn't banish him if their lives would depend on it."

"Is not it a little dangerous to send him against his home planet?"

Luke shrugged. "I do not think so. That is, Vader does not. I do not know the Admiral well enough to form an opinion about him. However, he is only there to obtain a virus and not to exterminate his people. What do you think?"

Leia stared into her coffee, like it would contain all the answers of the universe. "Me? Oh, I do not know. I do not know him that well either."

Luke looked at his sister, disbelief written all over his face. "You spent an eternity with the guy, Leia. Come on, spit it out - is he really as ingenious as people claim?"

"Must we talk about Thrawn now?" Leia stood up and walked to the window. "Where's Han?"

Luke eyed his sister and then gave in to her change of topic.

"Thrawn reassigned him to the tec-team that currently takes the Waroom ship apart. At first, he didn't like it to ordered around by a bunch of Imperials, but now he's obsessed by the ship. You know him."

Luke looked at his sister again. Something was wrong. And it had something to do with Thrawn. It was almost as if she would cringe inwardly every time his name was mentioned. What could have happened in those mines that would have such an effect on her? Maybe he had hurt her? But then Luke did not really believe that. Thrawn was a strategic, not a sadist like Disra. Whatever had happened, it surely had left its mark upon his sister.

"What do you think, shall we go outside?" Leia smiled. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea! Just give me a second to change."

…

…  
Coruscant, or 'Imperial City' as it was nowadays called, was one big city with only few gardens, that only the rich and powerful could afford. However, there was a shopping centre nearby, which included a public garden on the roof. Leia had brought some ale along and the two were determined to have a nice, little picnic on such a wonderful day.

"I think I've never seen this garden so empty." Leia looked around in disbelief.

"People are afraid. Many left the planet as soon as they'd heard the Waroom's Holo message. `As far away from Core Worlds as possible!´ I guess, I can't blame them."

The second Luke had opened the bottle, Leia's comlink came alive. "Han ... Yes, yes ... Hmm, good idea. Sure… We are in the Paradise Garden Shopping Centre... Ok ... See you then. Bye."

Luke grinned. "That's typical, as soon as we open the alcohol, Han shows up. He must have some kind of radar for this. Better start before Mr I-can-take-more-than-you arrives. You should have seen us on Makem Te. I swear if Chewie had not been there, I would never have gotten up the stairs on my own. Stars were we drunk."

...

It did not take long until Han had found them.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Agamarian Ale?" He grinned boyishly and sat down in-between his friends. "I tell you, the Imps really do not know how to have fun. You on the other hand…"

His smile became even more radiant, if that was possible. "Come on guys, push the beautiful thing over to Han." Luke rolled his eyes, but then again he couldn't help but like Han.

"And you my darling may push yourself over here as well!" He grinned at Leia and then pulled her closer, before kissing her playfully on the cheek. Leia, however, did not seem to share his enjoyment. "Well your Highness, you could at least pretend to be a little more enthusiastic about seeing the reason for sleepless nights again!"

"Sure Han, when I see Darth Vader passing by, I'll perform a jig."

"Ouch. Well, at least our ice-princess is her old, venomous self again." He refilled her glass and winked at Luke."Thank the force, Agamarian Ale is a wonderful ice-breaker."

Leia shook her head in disbelieve. Typical!

"What about the Waroom ship, Han? Any progress?"

"Oh, don't ask. One step forward and two steps back. But with the language we are making real progress. Thrawn sent over this language-guy … and I tell you – that man isn't stupid! And with the Imps that means something. I mean, honestly, who in his right mind works for the Empire? Anyway, this lingu-guy has deciphered most of the symbols, which is pretty helpful."

"Linguist, Han. You're talking about a linguist. "

"That's what I said! Lingu-ist."

Luke couldn't help but laugh. The two were an unlikely pair and even was an understatement. He sometimes wondered what Bail Organa might have said to Han, as he probably wasn't the ideal partner for an Alderaanian Princess. Leia too sometimes died several small deaths when Han was his politically-incorrect self again, worshiped himself and his adventures or simply talked nonsense, while he in return used every opportunity to tease her about her royal title and her job as a politician. But probably it was just that what made Han appear to be so down-to-earth and with that so likable. Han often said what others only dared to think, which – granted - was not always the best idea…. Leia had a different, more sophisticated background and would never talk out of line, at least not on the political stage. Nevertheless, Han was no fool either, he simply had different priorities.

…

The afternoon flew by and as Luke accompanied his sister home, he couldn't help but wonder.

"Is something the matter, Leia?"

"To have a Jedi as a brother is not always good thing, you know?" Luke remained silent, but then came to a halt, when he felt a wave of nervousness coming from his sister.

"I did not read your mind, Leia. I would never invade your privacy like that!" Luke raised his hands playfully. "I swear. I just noticed that you were different today."

Leia looked at him, still a little suspicious. "Different? How far? "

"Well, you were quite distant to Han for one."

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess you're right. But…it has been such a long time…I just can't … So many things have happened and …he is not particularly sensitive either, is he? I don't know…I guess I just have to find myself again, before…well, you know."

Luke nodded. "Sure, if that's how you feel."

They went a little further, both silent.

"What about Thrawn?" Luke felt her adrenaline level rising.

"Why do you keep on mentioning him?" She was a good actor. Uncle Owen had once said that actors and politicians had one thing in common: They both could lie without blushing.

"I do not know. Probably because you have problems talking about him. Or your time in the mines in general."

"And that with good reason. It was a terrible time, Luke. A time I would rather forget - and Thrawn happened to be there too, therefore I would prefer not to talk about him right now, alright?"

She lied. At least partially. A part of him wished that she would confide in him, another told him to be patient. They had arrived at her apartment.

"If you want to talk, Leia. I'm always there for you. No matter what is it. Ok?" She nodded.

"I'm fine, Luke. Don't worry."

He did not believe her, but said nothing.

"Ok."

Leia closed the door and sat down behind her desk. Sith! Everything was wrong and that while everything ought be alright now! She had been looking forward to seeing Han again, she had missed him, but today not been as it should…Far from it. She had not been able to welcome his advances and had thought of him instead. Leia closed her eyes and shook her head.

Why in the name of the galaxy had she slept with him? She had liked him, yes, maybe even had been drawn to him; he had been nice, alright, and certainly had not been unattractive. But still, she didn't think of herself as a woman who had sex with someone just because he was nice and attractive! Never in her life she had done such a thing! It thought alone made her wince, which only left one conclusion: She had fallen in love with him. In involuntary moan escaped her lips and Leia let her head crush on the hard surface of her wooden desk. "Oh stars!" This wasn't right and it wasn't fair either!

Her mother had once said that only fools would fall in love and her mother had been right! How else could one call a woman that knows that the man in question is nothing but trouble and against her better knowledge, pursues and commits herself to such a man? A complete and utter fool! It was foolish to open your heart and give your emotions to a person that may or may not handle them with care! To hop into a – let's face it - stranger's bed! She had never wanted to be a fool! Even less a fool for a man! But here she was…

Leia tried to think about how it had happened and why she had done it. But then again one couldn't rationalize love. It just happened… Still, why had she slept with him? And how the hell was she ever going to find someone that compared?

She felt sorry for Han. He loved her. He really did. He was a good man and he had risked his life for her and she had deceived him. She was the villain in this story! Was malice perhaps contagious? Stupid idea. No, she was not a villain – only a fool, much like beautiful, but stupid Helen of Troy, whose love had cost the lives of thousands and for Helena there hadn't been a happy ending either.

**PP**

"How long can the planetary shields withstand this heavy bombardment? Is there enough time for the reinforcement to arrive?"

"We can't be certain, Sir. This is the first time Csilla's facing an enemy attack of such magnitude and we … are not even sure if our message reached the reinforcement troops. We have lost contact to several ships in orbit. It's likely they have been destroyed."

Formbi cursed under this breath. Imperials were noted for their brutality and viciousness and he just hoped they wouldn't fire on the escape pods. He looked once more to the large tactical display above the council's briefing room. The human vessels were much faster than anticipated and Thrawn first aim had been to destroy the satellites in order to disable direct planetary communication, before attacking the Chiss' ships. Thus, real-time communication was impossible. All the data had to be transferred via the ships in orbit and therefore their information was already a minute old, before it reached headquarters and if their message had been intercepted they were doomed.

The statistics were already looking gloomy as more and more blue pots disappeared, while the red ones advanced, but what he saw next made his blood freeze: The Chimera and the Virulence, flanked by a dozen other Star Destroyers had broken the planet's defence ring and were slowly entering orbit close to the poles, while the rest of the fleet went to other assigned stations. The Imperial war-machine was about to take Csilla's planetary defences apart! To Hoth with Thrawn and his whole bloody family! Banishment had been a far too lenient punishment and he had known it! But it was too late for regrets now.

Four hours later the planetary shields finally gave way. Csilla's power stations were quickly identified and heavy turbolasers bombardment disabled their military bases as well as their major infrastructure in less than ten minutes, however not beyond repair. Formbi sighed heavily.

"It's time to surrender."

…

…

Captain Pellaeon sat, somewhat nervously, next to his commanding officer inside an Imperial lambda shuttle. He was dressed in a thick, black insulation jacket and a pair of gloves lay next to his chair. So this was it, Thrawn's home planet. He couldn't imagine what was going through his superior's mind at the moment. Was he sorry for what had happened? Or did he feel nothing? After all, he was an alien, with an alien mind. Usually, he did not think about Thrawn's alienness and actually felt a bit guilty for it now.

"For you, Captain." Thrawn handed him a pair of sunglasses. Pellaeon looked at him a bit baffled.

"The ice, Captain. It reflects the sun rather than absorbs it. It would be unwise to go without them."

"I see. Thank you." He reached for the sunglasses, but then hesitated. Thrawn was his superior after all. "You should keep it. I am sure there is another one somewhere in the back."

"I have no need for it." Thrawn motioned to his red eyes. "My species evolved on this planet after all."

"Oh, I did not think…Well, thank you." Pellaeon took the sunglasses. So these red eyes had a non-intimidating purpose after all. For a brief second he wondered how it worked, but then again he wasn't a biologist.

With a shaking movement the shuttle met the ground and once the door opened, an icy wind entered the shuttle.

"Good God!" Pellaeon tugged his jacket tighter and pull up his hood, while leaving the shuttle.

"Is this the average temperature on Csilla?"

"I would say so." Thrawn yelled against the freezing winds. "But there are some areas where the temperature rises above the freezing point during summer."

"Sounds charming. God, this is worse than Hoth!" Pellaeon turned and already felt his face go numb.

Several more Imperial vessels were landing next to them and some of the ground troops came to their welcome. Pellaeon looked up the imposingly large AT-ATs. It was unbelievable that they worked in this cold. He shook his head and looked at the surroundings instead. Despite the wind and the cold, everything was crystal clear and the sky above was brilliant blue.

"I cannot deny that it possesses a certain beauty. Is that a building there? In the glacier?" Pellaeon pointed north.

"Yes, that is the state library. But there is no time for this Captain, we should go inside as quickly as possible. At this time of year, it is easy to freeze to death."

He nodded. Accompanied by heavily armed stormtroopers and a freezing Rukh the two made their way over the ice. Suddenly, they reached a cave, which included a tunnel of ice and a small staircase. Sunlight from above made the ice glow bluish and even though everything was made of ice, the walls and the staircase were as dry as stone, probably due to immense cold and the weight of the ice.

"Chiss cities are built underground to take advantage of geothermal energy." Thrawn explained. "We lived on the surface once, but that was so long ago that the only knowledge obtained of that era comes from children's stories."

At last, they reached a modern elevator. "That's it. Our way down to the subways and cities." The door opened automatically and they entered. The control-panel looked complicated and had a small computer terminal attached to it. "The elevator and subway systems of Csilla are enormous. I do not think there is anything comparable within the Empire." Thrawn explained, while the elevator started its long journey down. "Csaplar and Ac'siel are in Imperial hands by now. We are going to Csaplar. It is the capital and also where I used to live." He handed Pellaeon a datapad that showed the display of a navigation system. "You won't be much help before the Council of Families, therefore I have decided to ask a little favour of you: Would you go to my family? I have to make certain they are alright and I cannot go there myself, as my presence is required elsewhere."

Pellaeon almost gaped at the Admiral. "Naturally. It is an honour to meet your family, Sir."

Thrawn smiled a rare smile. "Only give praise when it is due, Captain. My mother is a rather eccentric character."

The elevator opened and Thrawn and half the troops stepped out. "Everything you will need is on that datapad. Good luck."

…

…

With all the planets within this solar system, why had the Chiss chosen this one? Pellaeon did not know. Everything about Csilla felt alien. Once down in the large city of Caspalar he admired the architecture. It was large and impressive, but generally seemed to be more practical, built in piecemeal fashion as needs demanded. Still, it was surprisingly modern and sophisticated, compared to most other alien worlds he had visited. But there was some beautiful, traditional looking buildings, too. Often the ceilings had holo-fields that projected the sky and it was surprisingly warm, too. For a second Pellaeon wondered just how close to the planet's core he was. But down here Csilla certainly seemed less strange than it had done outside. Some of the buildings and clothes actually resembled human ones, possibly because of physical similarity between Chiss and Humans.…

From the capital there were more, smaller subways leading to the suburbs and to major stores. Pellaeon followed the directions on his pad and quickly reached an area that appeared to be one of the better neighborhoods of Caspalar, as the houses here had gardens. It was incomprehensible to him how the plants were able to live without sunlight down here, or if they were simply artificial plants. In any case, they looked real. Ah, there it was.

Pellaeon rang the door-bell, or at least tried to then a grim looking face of a Chiss male appeared on a small screen, next to the door.

"This is Captain Pellaeon to deliver a message from the Grand Admiral." The guard on the other hand, said something unintelligible, then opened the door and mentioned him to follow him inside. The stormtroopers had to remain outside.

…  
About ten minutes later, as Pellaeon strode into house's the bright atrium, he saw her for the first time and his thin lips curved into a simile. Thrawn's mother. Mith'silia'safis. He looked at her, almost analytically: She was a mature woman, that stood in a regal, almost arrogant manner in front of the house; beautiful and well-built. She was tall, curvy and very feminine, the way he liked women. Dark, black hair fell lavishly around her shoulders and met her perfectly formed bosom, while her white dress hung loosely upon her frame, revealing some well-toned muscles. Her face showed that she was no girl anymore, but it was still more than acceptable with high cheekbones and full, inviting lips. He was not used to such a sight and for a moment was afraid he might show. That woman is a goddess. Stars, how young had she been when she'd given birth? On the other hand, age was always hard to tell with aliens. Thrawn did not seem to age much either.

"Milady, I am Galid Pellaeon, the Captain of the Chimera. I am here on behalf of Grand Admiral Thrawn. He invites you and your daughter to join him aboard his ship this evening."

"Does he?" Thank God, she spoke basic. Although she didn't sound too enthusiastic about the invitation. "Tell the Grand Admiral that it is his duty, as my son, to talk to me in person and not to send one of his minions."

Minions? Apparently, she had quite a temper as well. Pellaeon heard a musical giggle from behind the curtains and then a second, younger female entered the atrium.

"Charming, mother." She wasn't as tall as the other woman and was very petite and pale in comparison, almost like a fairy. She looked young, breakable and extremely beautiful in her own way. She wore a light, golden dress and her hair had traces of brown and reddish in them, which went well with her eyes.

"Wouldn't you agree that Thrawn has other things on his mind right now." She said to her mother and then went over to Captain Pellaeon, stretching out a hand.

"Mitth'riela'nuruodo. It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Galid Pelleon."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mitth'riela'nuruodo."

Silia waved her hand. Obviously annoyed by her daughter's performance as a host and still made no attempt to introduce herself. Pellaeon was sure that the fact that he was still standing in the atrium without having been offered a seat or drink was no accident either.

"That may be the case. Still, I am his mother. He cannot send for me like a servant."

"This is an invitation, Milady." Pellaeon attempted to rescue the situation but seemed to make everything worse. He had no idea about Chiss' etiquette, but he was honestly surprised at how emotionally the woman before him responded. While the Admiral had been the only Chiss he'd known, he had fallen to the misconception that all Chiss were more or less like him, reserved and controlled. This certainly was not the case. And the thought that his women shared 50% of the Admiral's genes made him shiver.

"An invitation delivered by a fleet captain with enemy forces in orbit."

"Don't be difficult mother. You know he wouldn't come to you."

"I'm his mother! It is his duty to pay me his respect!" Something told Pellaeon that this woman wouldn't board the Chimera if the entire 501st legion would stand behind her.

"Mother, please. We all have been hurt enough. If Thrawn can forgive you for your part in the trials, then you have to forgive him for Thrass."

"This has nothing to do with your brother!" She hissed. "And I won't hear about Thrawn's trial either. He brought his upon himself, upon all of us! There was nothing I could have done to prevent it."

Riela shook her head. "Lie to yourself, if you think it helps."

She snatched a magazine from a side table, looked at Pellaeon and smiled.

"Tell my brother that I'm grateful for his invitation and that I gladly accept it, but that our mother won't join me, due to medical reasons."

"'Medical reasons?´ Don't be absurd!" She turned to Pellaeon and looked him in the eye first the first time. "You may tell my son, how I feel about …" she pointed at the faked sky. "…this! He has besieged his home planet and betrayed his people. Tell him I do not wish to see him. Tell him to stop hurting his family!"

Then she turned on her heel and walked silently back into the house.

 

**PP**

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out heroes."

(Walter M. Schirra.)

…

"Riela." Grand Admiral Thrawn entered his quarters and embraced his sister, kissing her cheek.

"Thrawn." She smiled and seemed genuinely happy to see her older brother again. Even if he had brought so much shame upon his family.

"Let me look at you." He pushed her away a little and then studied her for a moment.

"It is hard to believe what a beauty you have become. In my memories, you are still a girl."

Riela laughed. "Yes, I guess I would be, wouldn't I?"

Thrawn showed her to the setting area, further back inside.

They were not very similar. Riela was at least a head shorter and very petite, her complexion was brighter, as was her hair. All in all, she was a beautiful woman, but character-wise she resembled her father, who was not Thrawn's father. But somehow he had always had a better relationship with her than he had had with full-brother, Thrass. After his father's death his mother had married Riela's father, a wealthy, aristocratic judge of the house of Sabosen, her `final victory´. Yes, from a certain point of view his mother's story could be read like fairytale, but then again he knew better. He been there… had witnesses how his mother had turned the heads of good men and had used them for her little schemes. If anything, Silia'Safis was a master manipulator and man-eater that could only be descript as viciously ambitious. She might hold her head up high now, but truth remained that Silia'Safis had been born a commoner. She was the daughter of a pretty bartender and minor gangster from the Payata harbour region. Surely no family background to be particularly proud of… Silia, however, had known how to use her good looks and the men, one more stupid than the other, had given her whatever she'd desired. Now they were all gone. Leaving Silia with their name, their credits and their influence. Not for the first time Thrawn wondered if his mother was part of the reason why he had never had the courage to bound himself to a woman.

Riela was nothing like their mother. She was very natural, calm, sensitive and well educated. She fitted perfectly into the noble Caspalarian society and she had the right blood, too. Riela might very well embody the perfect Chiss-wife, though he was not sure how pure and good a woman raised by his mother could be. Sooner or later Riela would lose her good-natured spirit with her. Silia simply had that effect on some people. Thrawn smiled. No not some, actually most people could not long withstand her for long. His own father included. Looking back, they both had been very young. He had been commoner, too. A simple Lieutenant in the Defense Fleet, nothing special. But he not been without talent, either. However, he had died before he had had the chance to prove himself. Silia's marriage to his father had not made her rich, but it had taken her out of Payata and had opened her the doors to a better, nobler world. There were rumours she had been behind the attack that had destroyed the ship on which his father had served. Naturally, there had been an investigation and therefore there were files about the incident… but he had never had the heart to look into them out of fear the rumours might be true. Thrawn shook his head and with that cast away the shadows of the past.

"Please, sit down." A plate full of colourful, strange fruit stood before Riela.

"If you weren't my brother, I would not drink with you in your quarters. People might talk." She said and playfully smiled over her glass.

"Do not be ridiculous!" On Csilla it was not unheard of that people married within family. It was done mostly for economical and politically reasons. However, only on rare occasions between siblings, even if they were only half-siblings. The thought alone was troubling to say the least.

Riela laughed. "Relax. I only wanted to see how you would react." Then she grinned, bit into a grape-like, red fruit and looked around.

"This is a nice room."

"One of few rooms that is a bit more personal. Most of the rooms on board an Imperial ship have a more functional nature. I thought you might prefer this."

"And so I do. What is this?" She pointed to a holo-sculpture on the side board.

"It is called `Fire of Eternity'. It is a Bimm artwork. Do you like it?"

"Well. Not really. It looks edgy and aggressive. No idea. Is it a real one?"

"I wish" Thrawn laughed. "`Fire of Eternity´ is worth some 50.000.000 credits and it is in a private collection at the moment. No, it is not real - only a projection. You can change it if you like. Right now I have programmed the cube to project a different piece of art each day." Riela went to the side board and flicked through with pictures and statues until she had found something she liked. Thrawn raised an eyebrow when he saw her choice.

"What is it? "

"Nothing. It is human. Alderaanian to be more precise. I find that somewhat ironic."

"Probably every second artwork on this projector is human."

"No, it is not. I tried to include as much variety as possible."

"Variety rather than aesthetics? Interesting. Any particular reason?"

He smiled. "I have always been interested in art, but yes, there are other reasons, too. But let us talk about you for a change. How are you Riela? You and mother?"

Riela sighed and looked down at her hands. It had been such a long time. "I ... Oh, well…where to start…Some years ago I married a man I did not love."

"You are married?" His little sister was married… How had that happened?

"I was. To a Council Member of the eighth ruling family, Mith'hassef'nuruodo. Mother insisted on the union once he'd shown some interest in me. Your banishment did cast quite a shadow on our family, you know… I trust you knew Hassef?"

Thrawn swallowed hard. Yes, he knew the man. He had been one of his former superiors. A hard, but wealthy man. "Mith'hassef'nuroudo is old enough to be your father, Riela ... I am sorry you were forced to do that."

She waved her hand and shock her head casually. "Don't be. It's all in the past. At first the thought of marrying an old man sickened me, but then it turned out alright. I had his daughter, her name is Yuna. She is wonderful and Hassef died almost two years ago, so I'm rich enough to never marry again and his family will protect us as long as the child is alive. I guess one could say that I'm happy."

"How old is Yuna?"

Riela sighed. "I was 17 when I was bound to him." She reached over the table to touch his arm.

"Do not blame yourself for this, brother. We all did what we thought was right at the time. What good is it to contemplate the past? We have to live in the present and now everything is alright ... Hassef and I were not often together." Thrawn liberated his arm and emptied the glass in one go. The idea that the old man and his little sister ... It was awful. Poor Riela. But she was right. It was over and his family, as mother had undeniably planned, had drawn a good deal of credits and benefits from this relationship.

"Is she still sleeping with Achtor?"

"No." Riela grinned, "He left her…for a younger woman". She reached for the wine bottle. "I've heard she is a real beauty and her father owns the Kregatis ship yards."

"Poor mother." Thrawn answered ironically. "For that, I almost have to like him. I take it, it was the first time she has been rejected."

"There is no need to be spiteful, Thrawn. She loved him. She tried to hide it, but she was deeply hurt by his behaviour. They were lovers for a long time."

"You are too kind, sister. Mother does not `love´. She only uses men, their desire, for her own benefit. Archtor wasn't any different and he was not faithful to her either. Her pride was broken, not her heart."

"I doubt you would say that if you had seen her."

Thrawn shook his head. "I cannot bring myself to feel sorry for her. She is …"

"... our mother, Thrawn! I cannot believe how much you hate her!"

"And I cannot believe that you still defend her after everything she has done to you." Both looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

"She is still our mother and I will not tolerate you talking ill about her. She has born and raised us. She has taught us many things and we wouldn't be who we are without her. For better or for worse. She may not be a lady, but she is strong, a survivor. Csilla is a hard place for an unmarried woman and through the years I have seen many people raising to power and then falling again. But not mother. No matter how bad the situation was, she mastered it. And no matter what you think about her, she loves you. She has a heart. I've heard her negotiating, pleading for your life the night before the final verdict. I've heard her weeping for Thrass, for you. She loves you. She does what she thinks is right, for all of us. Even if it is not always good."

Thrawn stared at his little sister. In the past people had sometimes accused him of being his mother's son and maybe they had been right. He too had made decisions for the greater good he wasn't particularly proud of. How far would he have gone to protect the family from fallen back into poverty? He was happy not to know the answer to that question. Maybe, just maybe, he and his mother were more alike than both of them cared to admit.

"There were times, I wished they had executed me instead." Riela reached for his hand.

"Do not say such things, brother. We have you back and that is all that matters."

Maybe his sister was right. Maybe he should swallow his pride, forget about the past and make the first step. He could use her help…and after all, his mother had always been influential.

…

…  
The door opened and Riela walked over to her mother, who was sitting at the dining table.

"See whom I brought with me, mother." Thrawn handed one of the servants of his coat and entered the dining room.

"Hello mother."

Silia got up like in a trance and slowly walked over to her son.

"My boy." She cupped his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. Then she kissed both of his cheeks and embraced him tightly, while one of her hands went through his hair. "I knew you'd come to me. I knew it. Let's look at you." She took a step backwards.

"Oh, you look well." She turned to her daughter. "Don't you agree, Riela? Looks like my prayers have been answered, as handsome as father." She smiled at him again. "But this strange uniform." She grimaced. "I hope their taste in other things is better."

She clapped her hands and one of the servants entered the room. "You, come here and put some new clothes on your master's bed." He bowed deeply and then left the room again.

"I do not think I will stay long enough to take part in local customs, mother."

Silia turned around. "Local customs? You are in my house and as long as that's true, I do not wish to see you in a uniform. This is no military event."

Thrawn raised an eyebrow. "Actually, since I am off age, you are unmarried and Thrass is dead, this is leally my house and therefore I can wear whatever I chose." Silia stared at her son in disbelief. "But since I do not wish to argue with you, I will go upstairs and change. That is, if I still have a room upstairs."

Silia smiled. "I never touched it. I'd hoped you would return one day."

…

It was nice to have Thrawn back home again. Silia smiled. He had been gone for so long, it felt like an eternity. And her heart had longed for him. Only a mother could understand what it meant not to know if your child was alive or had died long ago. If all your prayers and tears had been in vain. Yes, she had been happy to hear the news that he had joined the Empire, that he was alive. It had not surprised her that Thrawn had a career. He was her son after all and he had always been very intelligent and inquisitive, but sometimes, when she'd heard about the things he had done, she had almost not recognized the man before her. As a child, Thrawn had been very quiet and shy. It had been Thrass, who had gained all the attention and who had enjoyed to be in the centre of attention, while his little brother usually sat in some dark corner, reading a book. She had had to forced him to go outside to play and fight with the other boys. Self-defence lessons had been another troublesome chapter of the education as well. Either because he had been afraid of getting hurt or because he had been repulsed by the violence, she did not know. Never in her wildest dreams, she would have thought that Thrawn would end up in the military and Thrass would be the politician. It just felt like it should have been the other way around. Actually there had been a times in which she had feared her son would end up as a philosopher or an artist . Now Thrawn was everything she had wished for - he had become a handsome and very powerful man. But wishes often became nightmares once their were granted and now her prefect son was fighting for the wrong side.

"…the biolabs are too close to the core. Our turbolasers cannot reach them without endangering the planet's stability. It is hard to…" Thrawn drank the dark liquid and made a face.

"Is it not to your liking?" Riela reached for the glass and smelled. It should be alright.

"No. It is very sweet. I have probably become accustomed to human food and taste." Riela's face brightened up.

"Is human food good? Better than what we have on Csilla? "

"They have more choice. Strictly speaking, there is no `human cuisine´ anymore. There are some traditional dishes, of course, but as a whole they took whatever appealed to them and included it in their meals. And yes, I find it very enjoyable. Not that I have not have longed for one thing or another from Csilla."

He took another gulp of the dark liquid, this time without showing any sign of discomfort.

"Mother, you know why I came to Csilla and well, let us just say that I am facing some `resistance´ in obtaining `Alpha Red´. I know where it is and I know that you know some very influential people that might help me to get it."

"And why should I do such a thing? I'm unpopular as it is."

"Well, ambitious as you are, I did not come here without an `offer´ in store. It includes the public humiliation of a person that has hurt you."

A depressing silence filled the room.

"What else?"

"Csilla will change. Some of the old traditions may be kept, but Csilla is part of the Empire now… I'm willing to make sure that you will profit from this change, mother. You always craved power."

"Your offer makes me shudder to think in what light you see me." Thrawn put a second glass in front of this mother.

"This is what you've always wanted. You only have to say `yes´."

"`Yes´ it is then."

 

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	6. Showdown

"We shouldn't do this" she said in a huskily voice between kisses, while her actions contradicted her words. "It isn't right."

"It does not have to be."

She ran her fingers through his black hair, while returning his kisses. Sith, he was good at this. He skillfully stroke his tongue along hers, leaving her yearning for more each time.

"But…my life… it was fine – before you showed up." she whispered.

"Story of my life." He grinned and then kissed her again deeply, this time pushing her back into the wall behind them.

"This is not the right place!"

"How could the Senate not be the right place for a senator?" He asked teasingly, then grabbed her hands and pushed them up above her head, now pinning her firmly against the wall. Leia moaned softly as he started kissing her neck. Pressed against him, her breathing became faster and she couldn't help herself and pushed her hip forward, now clearly feeling him against her. She moaned quietly in the crook of his neck, fully enjoying him and his scent. Somehow his right hand had found its way under her white dress and he slowly ran his fingers up and down her inner thigh, while kissing her neck, making his way up to her mouth again. Leia closed her eyes and held her breath in an attempt to control herself. Good God, this wasn't really happening, was it?

"Say it." He whispered.

"Why?" She looked at him, her eyes half closed in an almost dreamy way.

"Because… I said so." He explained, his voice cracking slightly.

"No."

He kissed her swollen lips again, more forcefully this time, while his hands climbed up her inner thigh. "Thrawn…" Leia gasped as his hand reached its destination. He was far stronger than she was and therefore had no trouble pushing her up against the wall.

"Say it." Leia bit her bottom lip and struggled to keep quiet, but it was no use.

"Take me."

…

Leia woke up with a start, breathing heavily and soaking wet with sweat. A dream. It had only been a dream. Good heavens! Sex in the Galactic Senate? Just how likely was that? Her hand moved to her forehead and wiped away the cold sweat. She got out of bed and felt her legs tremble. Sith, I don't belief this!

She went into the kitchen and fixed herself a glass of cold water and then sat down at the dark kitchen-table. This had to stop! It was an impossible situation!

Leia felt tears in her eyes. What good was denying it? She clearly missed him. Damn it!

Could one love two people at the same time? That was the question… Not ordinary love that one shared with friends or family, but true love. The kind of love that was written about in those – supposedly - tacky novels that everyone openly disliked and secretly read. An emotional `menage-a-trois´ so to speak. Leia tossed the glass in her hands and sighed. The fact alone that was she thinking about it, suggested the answer had to be `yes – kind of´. How could that be? She had always thought that is was impossible, that this was just the kind of thing people said when they're afraid to admit that feelings can change and even love can ware off. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. Come to think of it, if there would only be one person in the whole universe you could truly love, most people would be deeply unhappy. Everyone had loved and lost someone at some point and they had all fallen in love again. Thus, reality had to be that there are a number of people one can truly love, emotionally as well as passionately. The trouble only began once you meet two such people at the same time. She really should talk to Han…

**PP**

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

An Imperial assault transport-class frigate jumped out of hyperspace. It was a grey, edgy and in general rather dull-looking Frigate, but it was also equipped with the fastest hyper-drive systems within the Empire, had enough space to carry an entire regiment of troopers and was heavily armed. In other words, the Imperial assault transport-class frigate was often a highly underestimated vessel.

"My Lord. The frigate just arrived. "

"Very well. Tell Captain Brandei to transfer the bio-toxin without delay."

…  
**&**

…

Luke stared at the small blue ball of light that was hovering in a stasis field before him. It did not look particularly special and certainly not as important as it was.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn and the rest of the fleet are still on their way home, Sir. He thought it best to sent `Alpha Red´ to the Core as fast as possible." Captain Brandei explained.

"He said that the sample would be sufficient to replicate."

Vader waved to some scientist to come closer. They quickly scanned the sample, analysed it with help of their data-pads and then nodded confidently.

"It can be done, Lord Vader. We will begin immediately."

"Good. Dismissed."

After the scientist had left the room, Vader turned to Brandei once more.

"Any explanation of how the Grand Admiral obtained the sample?"

"No, Sir. The Grand Admiral did not inform me about the circumstance of its acquisition and I did not inquire about it."

"I see. Your presence is no longer required, Captain."

He would have to wait for the report then. Thrawn's connections on Csilla were clearly not as out-dated as the Admiral at feared. Anyway, none of this mattered now, they had the virus.  
Lord Vader turned to his son. "After the virus has been replicated, we will have to test it and increase its effectiveness. We cannot wait several hours before their shields fail. Time is slowly running out."

Luke shuddered by the thought of what his father understood as a `test´. He had seen too many beings used in this war are already. Sometimes it felt like with every innocent being, a piece of his soul would die as well. A Jedi's duty was to the defenceless, not to the preservation of his own life. His father said that in a war people died and that his life was too valuable to risk. Was he already being corrupted by the Dark Side, by not interfering? It was wrong, but it seemed to be their best chance of victory. Were the lives of many really more important than the lives oft he few? There had been a time when the lines between right and wrong had been so clear and now everything seemed grey. The older he became, the more confusing life seemed.

…

…

"How are you?" Dr. O'Rourke smiled radiantly at Leia and flipped through his notes.

"Quite good, actually."

"That is nice to hear for a change." His Coruscanti accent was hard to ignore and Leia had the feeling that he nursed it on purpose.

"According to this, you are in prefect health, Princess. If you chose to, you may also start working again. Mon Mothma would certainly appreciate the help." His blue eyes sparkled in contrast to his dark hair and it was easy to like him.

"Good." Work had always been a good distraction. "May I leave then?"

Dr. O'Rourke stopped in his tracks. "Well, there is one more thing, Princess. You are with child. Approximately two to three weeks in. Congratulations."

He closed his folders and wanted to shake her hand, but then hesitated.

"Why do I suddenly feel as though 'congratulations' was too hasty a sentiment?"

Leia starred at him in shock, her face ashen. Then she sighed.

"Pregnant?" repeated Leia unbelievingly. "I...I cannot have this child…It's father…you know…We cannot have a child together." She stated plainly, as reality finally sang in. Her hand automatically went down to her belly. She was pregnant! Good God. The thought that a child was growing inside of her seemed absurd at the moment.

"Princess, this may have come has a shock to you, but I would recommend not to make such an important decision in the blink of an eye. You are still in a very early stage and therefore you have more than enough time to think about his… And you may still lose the child. It is the first cross-breed of this kind I have ever heard of. I know, this is none of my business, but I think you should at least tell the Admiral about it, before … well."

Leia's mind was in fever. Pregnant.What would people think of her? Would they still believe in her and follow her lead if she was carrying the enemy's child? At the moment they were allies, but how long would this forced alliance last? Her career might be over. What would Bail Organa have said? What would Han say? Abortion. It would solve all her problems. But could she do it? Kill a baby?Her baby? Would `he´ want it? But then again they might all die soon.

"Thanks you, Doctor. I will think about it."

"Good. And if there is anything I can do for you, you know where to find me."

…

…

TWO DAYS LATER

Han and Luke were still busy working on the captured alien ships when Leia came in.  
"How are the modifications coming along?"  
"It's not looking too bad, actually. We have successfully tested the virus on its shields. It works. After about five minutes they were down, but only when the virus reached the system. We just uploaded it into the ship's main-board computer. As soon as it connects to the mother ship, it should spread like a wildfire on the whole fleet. After that, it should take about then minutes before all their shields are disabled." Han pointed to the place where the blaster canons had been before. "In case plan A doesn't work, Luke and I installed some old-fashioned warheads and equipped them with `Alpha Red.´ So if we can kill them, we can at least hurt them."  
"And who is crazy enough to fly this piece of junk?"  
"Do you really have to ask?" Luke rolled his eyes. "Han and Lando, of course!" Luke headed to copick, I'll just to check some things."

Leia looked at Han shock her head. "You are unbelievable, do you know that? At first Endor and now this. Do you have a not so secret death wish or do you simply want to impress me with your reckless behaviour?"  
Han grinned. "If I wouldn't know better, I would say you are worried about me, Princess."  
"I'm not worried about you." She put her hands on her hips. "If I'm worried about anyone, it's me."

"Because you would be lonely without me?" Han suggested, while coming closer and grinned smugly.

Alright. She might miss him, but she would never say it.

"I would NOT be lonely without you." Leia said defyingly, crossing her hands before her chest and look him in the eye. However, her words did not quite reach her eyes.

Han still grinned. "Well there's only thing to do about that, is there?"

So he leaned down and kissed her. It had been a while, but Leia still remembered. Han was very gentle when his lips covered hers, waiting for her to return his kiss and strangely enough it was his pure lack of demand that caught her attention and made her respond. This was his way of showing her his love – he was hers, if she wanted him. After a while Leia rested her head on his chest, while he stroke her hair.

"Whatever has happened, we'll get throw this together." he promised, while Leia remained silent and struggled not to cry.

…

…  
Darth Vader did not like mission briefings. He had always been someone who listened to his gut feelings and then made up a plan along the way. Nevertheless, today it was different. Today, too much was at stake, and thus he actually used the Executor's large briefing room. It was a dark room with U-shaped table in front of a large plasma screen and a tactical holo area in the middle. However, the vastness of the back and silver room was not as evident now as it usually was, because now it was crowed with the Executor's senior officers.

–  
"Listen carefully, because I will not repeat myself. Our time is short and I have received bad news from the Emperor. The Waroom began their assault on Core Worlds five minutes ago, Grand Admiral Thrawn has still not returned from the Unknown Regions and large parts of our fleet have joined forces with the Rebel Alliance in the battle for Corellia. However, I am confident that Corellia is only a distraction. The Waroom's primary objective is still Imperial City and we will not give up the Empire's capital. The first thing to be eliminated is their numerical superiority. I have arranged that a particular piece of false information found its way to the Waroom. They are now under the impression that our sample of `Alpha Red´ as well as the laboratories producing the biotoxin are located on Endor. Therefore, at least half of their invasion fleet is now on its way to Endor. The Death Star is still in system and will self-destruct as soon as the fleet has arrived. The explosion should be big enough to destroy most of their ships. The rest of the fleet will be crucially harmed, so that our special-armed `Alpha Red´-warheads, which have been attached to our TIE-Fighters, should be able to destroy them. An expansive, but promising plan. The Death Star and our base on Endor have already been evacuated. To destruction of the second half of the fleet will be less easy. For this, the Imperial Fleet will engage the Waroom right here." Vader pointed at the intergalactic star-map, now visible on the plasma screen.  
"Considering the current situation, this is the only logical way between Corellia and Imperial City. In the long run, the Star Destroyers cannot win against the Coral Ships. Even with the `Alpha Red´ warheads, pure penetration from the outside is seldom fatal, except perhaps the before mentioned scenario. The warheads will harm them, but not destroy them, as the Coral Ships heal themselves far too quickly. This virus has to get into their blood, so to speak to be infectious and lethal. Therefore, we have equipped the captured Waroom vessels with `Alpha Red´ and hope to interlock it with the mothership's main-frame. This action is carried out by General Solo, as he is the only pilot able to fly the ship. His friend, General Calrissian will accompany him. Our task is to cover them and to make sure that they find their way to the mother ship. This requires special attention in the following areas ... "

**PP**

Lord Vader's calculations turned out to be correct. The Waroom ships were precisely where he had anticipated them to be and when Han saw the armada of enemy ships, the foolishness of his plan finally sank in.

"Let me guess: The big, scary monster over there, that's our job, right?" Han said and pointed to the Waroom mother-ship.

Lando nodded. "Right."

"Great."

At the moment their little, alien fighter was hiding in the Executor'simmense shadow. They had orders to stay there, until the fight started and then to use the chaos of battle to silently sneak over and infiltrate the enemy.

All of a sudden, the first fighter squadrons were launched on both sides. The game was on.

Han sighed. There was no way outnow.

…

…

Admiral Piett's grip on the dura-steel balustrade became firmer. This battle was like fighting a Rancor with bare hands, he thought as he saw one TIE-fighter being shot after the other, while the enemy seemed to sufferer no damage at all. And he didn't like it one bit. Though his job had never been one of the safest, he had never felt particularly threatened during a space battle on board the Executor. That was, before today. He looked at the tactical display on his right. All Star Destroyers were under heavy fire and some of their shields were already giving in. If they waited too long, there might be no one left to attack the Waroom after the virus had been released.

"Tell Solo and Calrissian to launch their operation as soon as their situation allows it."

"Yes, Sir."

…

…

"We have green light. It's about time."

Han nodded to Lando. "Alright. Let's deliver our surprise present and go home."

Lando suppressed the sudden urge to vomit as the fighter made a 360° degree turn and then flew off in a spectacular formation towards the mother-ship. This time, Han had not promised too much when he had told him that this ship could do some crazy manoeuvres.

"What do you think? Should we take down some TIEs along the way? You know, as part of our convincing disguise?"

Lando laughed. "Sounds tempting, but I think we should better concentrate on the task at hand." He leaned over the com-station. "Calrissian to the ISS Executor. We are on direct course to the mother-ship. Over."

"Executor to Calrissian. We have you on screen and cover your back. Good luck."

"Acknowledged. Over and out."

Yes, luck they would need.

…

…

Slowly the little fighter entered the alien ship. They followed another, similar looking fighter, which had taken heavy damage during battle and obviously was in need of repairs. Inside the alien ship, everything shone in a dark, greenish light and looked rather frightening.

"I don't like this. This ship probably flies into their repair section and they'll notice that our ship doesn't belong there and we can't simply stop here. Han, you can't just park here!"

"Stop worrying, Lando and be happy that for once everything works! I have everything under control."

"But I can't stop worrying! This is too easy! I just have a VERY bad feeling about this."

BEEP. BEEP.

Suddenly a message in a strange language appeared on their screen. Lando sighed, looked meaningfully at Han and then picked up the data-pad the Imperial linguist had given them.

BEEP. BEEP.

"Yeah ... well ... That makes no sense."

BEEP. BEEP.

Han glared at Lando. "What does it say? I have to answer them, you know?"

BEEP. BEEP.

"Well, according to this translator the message says: `Your shoes are smelly.´"

BEEP. BEEP.

"Ok, that really makes no sense."

"This is a semi-organic ship. Maybe it really thinks that your shoes are smelly."

BEEP. BEEP.

Han looked at Lando in a mixture of amusement and despair.

"If you're trying to be funny, Lando, this it not the right time. And my shoes are notsmelly!"

BEEP. BE.. Han unplugged the speaker. At the least the beeping had stopped.

"I think we can throw that translator in the trash composer."

Unexpectedly, their ship moved again. It was pulled away by a second ship, which brought it deeper into the mother-ship's interior and finally docked it into a hangar bay full of fighters.

Then a new screen appeared. Hopefully that meant that they were finally connected to the mother-ship's main frame. Han carefully took the small container with the virus from underneath the console and connected it to the on-board computer. The mechanics had shown him at least a hundred times how to connect and activate `Alpha Red´, so that by now Han could perform his task without difficulty.

`TRANSACTION CONFIRMED' Han smiled and then clicked another button. `PACKET SUCCESSFULLY TRANSMITTED'. That's it! He had done it!

He beamed at Lando. "Fool's luck."

Lando smiled back. "Don't count your credits before the game is over."

"True. Anyway, we should tell them." Lando nodded.

"Calrissian to the ISS Executor. Mission accomplished. We are now on our way back."

" Executor here. Well done. Over and out."

All of a sudden, an alarm shrieked throughout the ship.

"Kriff! Looks like they noticed that something's off."

Han made a face. "Yeah, that was quick. Let's get out of here!" He unplugged the cable in a quick motion, undocked and rushed towards the exit, while neutralizing several enemy ships along the way.

"I'm starting to love this baby!" Han yelled as the little fighter swooped around the corner in another dangerous looking manoeuvre. But shortly before the exit their ship suddenly stopped, silence filled the room and they were surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"What the kriff just happened?"

"The virus happened, laser brain! That's what we're here for, remember? It was just a little more effective than anticipated."

Lando searched for a flashlight. "Oh this is just great and now we're trapped in our own trap!"

"You're the one that complained that it was too easy – I hope you're happy now!"

…

…

"Sir? All shields are down. However, Solo and Calrissian have not yet escaped."

Piett turned around to face the young man in the lower bridge deck level.

"Their lives are of no importance compared to what is at stake, Lieutenant. Give me the fleet."

In a quick, military fashion Piett then headed towards the wall and activated the fleet-com.

"This is fleet Admiral Piett to all ships. Enemy shields are down. I repeat: Enemy shields are down. Fire at will and concentrate on their larger battle-ships. Every minute counts. Piett out."

…

Lord Vader stood before one of the larger viewing screen, hands clasped behind his back. So far, so good. Piett had proven to be a far better officer than his predecessors. He operated well under pressure. Maybe a promotion was in order. Then his gaze returned to the battle. He had a good view from here. Hopefully, it would be worth his time.

…

…

"You can't be serious!" Lando crossed his arms before his chest. "I won't climb into one of those! That's suicide!"

Han struggled to get into his silver-back space suit.

"The Imps will destroy this ship and us along with it! These space suits are equipped with small navigation engines. We only have to get out of here and then wait until our people pick us up. "

"There's a kriffin' space battle outside! I'm not flying out there wearing nothing but a space suit and a smile! This is madness! The chances of survival are ... "

"Never tell me the odds!" Han interrupted and put on his helmet. He knocked against it with his fist and grinned at Lando. "We have no choice, buddy. Let's get out of here."

…

…

Lord Vader stepped a little closer to the view-screen. What in the name of the Force was that? Could it be….no, surely not?

Vader turned around.

"Lieutenant Biermann, scan sector 2.43."

"Yes, my Lord." The young man paused a second, obviously not believing his eyes.

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

"My Lord. It appears as though Calrissian and Solo found a way out. They are wearing space suits."

Force! Those two surely havemore luck than brains!He often felt as though this seemed to be a common Rebel trait. He knew that there was no such thing as `luck´, but he could not help but wonder a times. For a moment he was tempted to simply leave the two men to their fate - on the other hand, such a thing would probably not find his son's approval and their relationship was in desperate need of some improvement.

"I suggest you better send a team to get them, Lieutenant."

…

…

Lando could scarcely believe it when a medium-sized Imperial cruiser suddenly appeared before them and took them in via tractor beam.

"God, never in my life was I so happy to be trapped in an Imperial tractor beam!"

"Tell me about it!" Han laughed as the two of them climbed out of their space suits.

A huge shock-wave suddenly hit the cruiser as the coral mother-ship finally collapsed under the heavy bombardment and exploded. It caused Han to lose his balance; he tripped and crashed with his hip against the table, while Lando ended up on the floor all together.

"I think we should get back to fleet."

"Agreed."

…

Once the cruiser was at a safe distance, Lando and Han were wrapped in warm, grey blankets, sipping cups of Nabooian tea and watching the battle from afar through a big view screen. For the first time in weeks it finally looked like they might win this war. Then another large coral-ship went up in flames.

"I think we did it, man! We're heroes now! The women will love us, and - do you think the Emperor will reward us? I'd like to have a mine again – you know, like Bespin. Or a casino."

Han shook his head. Lando had nothing besides women and money on his mind. Some time ago he had been just like that, but those times were over now. `She´ had made him realise that there was more to life than that.

"Maybe. Who knows? But I wouldn't keep my hopes too high if I were you." He lifted his tea. "To victory! "

"To victory!"

**PP**

"Han, I beg you, stop complaining."

Han Solo stood before a mirror, obviously struggling with himself. Tonight, there would be a huge victory parade on Coruscant, which he had to attend. He didn't like large, public events and to make matters worse, he would sit in one of the Imperial VIP-Boxes, right next to Leia. Han Solo, special guest of his majesty, Emperor Palpatine. A questionable honor and his suit did nothing to improve his mood.

"Here I am, finally about to be bound with the chains of bourgeoisie." Han declared theatrically and lifted a black bow-tie.

"Then let me be the one to put you in chains." Leia said smugly and reached for the bow-tie.

"This suit feels like a straitjacket." He grimaced, when he saw himself in the mirror. "And I look like a well-dressed impostor."

"I think you look very good." Leia smiled at him.

"Look what you've done to me! A few years ago I wouldn't have thought it possible and now - here I am, Han Solo in the flesh, in an evening suit! And weirdest thing is that I enjoy doing it, for you."

Han reached into his pocket and suddenly revealed a small, square box. Ever since her abduction Han knew how important Leia was to him. He had carried the box around for almost a week and so he jumped at the chance that was presenting itself to him now. Han took a deep breath.

"Leia…. do you want to marry me?"

…

Getting married? Leia could not think straight.

"Marriage? Han…I'm honored, but don't you think this is rather sudden?"

Leia couldn't believe she was actually saying those words. She had always wanted to marry, but now she wasn't so sure anymore. A thousands thoughts came crushing to her mind at the same time. Why was she hesitating? Was it because of the baby? Because of Thrawn? Or – she almost didn't dare going that far – had she fallen out of love with Han? No, that wasn't right. She had thought about it. Not really, not intentionally, but she had. Their relationship had changed. She had known that, admitting it though, had taken somewhat longer. But change was normal, wasn't it? She had been with Han for some time now and every relationship naturally became more `mature´ with time. Or maybe it was because of the different circumstances she was in now, and everything would be the way it used to be, if she only gave them a chance. Leia glanced at Han and felt tears building up in her eyes. Had he changed or was it her? It made no difference. She had betrayed him.

Leia took a deep breath. It was now or never. She had to tell him. And suddenly she was terribly afraid. Would he still want her? Could she bare being rejected, bare loosing him? Leia felt torn. She had to end this now. Yet, seconds felt like minutes. How unfair life was! The good times in life usually flew by and were over, long before one realized that that special moment had already been 'happiness´. Whenever she had thought, that from this moment on, life would be better, the moment ended. Happiness died. And that happened fast, always fast. If Lea had learned one thing in her life by now, it was that one buckle up whenever one was too happy, because usually one was brought back to reality in a rather brutal fashion, which in turn lasted long. Very long. Just like now. Lea was trapped in her personal hell and now Han would have to come down into the depths of Hades as well.

….

"Han…" she reached for his hands and with that forced him to sit down on the bed, next to her.

"I know that senators enjoy the reputation of being brilliant speakers, however, there are situations in which our gift is of little help…. I'm not sure how I can tell you this, without hurting you. I love you, Han..."

Han looked at her, concern written all over his face. "It's good to know that, honey."

"Yes, but ..." Leia suddenly found the courage to look him in the eye and just said it. "I cheated on you." So, there it was. Now it was finally out.

Han stared at her in disbelief for a brief second and then laughed humorless, while shaking his head.

"Thrawn?" he asked, although it did not sound like a question.

Leia just nodded.

…

Han got up, ran his hand through his brown hair and swore under his breath. Funny, he was neither as surprised, nor as angry as he had supposed. At least, Leia's strange behavior towards him made sense now. Rationally, they had never been a good match. She was a Princess and a former senator and who was he? A guy that, for the most time, had made his money with gambling and other illegal businesses. Maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Suddenly, he noticed that Leia was still remarkably still. She stared at the wall and did not look relieved at all. Actually, she looked like someone that was about to confess a terrible crime. What else could she possibly have done? Then he noticed her arms, which were folded over her abdomen in a protective fashion.

"Stars….Don't tell me you're….Leia?"

He starred at her for a couple of seconds and then paced the room. His anger and disappointment clearly looking for a valve and could not find one. For a second, Han was tempted to simply rush out of the room in order to escape the situation, but what sense would that have made? One couldn't escape reality. He forced himself to calm down and then sat down on the bed again.

"Does he know?"

Leia shook her head. "No", she whispered almost inaudibly.

"It's his child, Leia. You'll have to tell him."

"I know and I will."

….

If Leia had been unsure about her feelings before, then she knew now. She could not loose Han! She needed him. Her heart was beating fast out of fear that he might leave her. Hate her. No, she could not have that! This was Han after all. Her Han.

"Han, I love you. I know I do. But there different types of love and I want you to know, that with me and Thrawn ..." Leia shook her head." The situation was extreme and extraordinary. Under normal circumstances we probably would have been at each other throats before long. We believe in different things and have different values. It would simply never have happened. A lot of things came together… the Vong were ruthless and Thrawn… he was kind to me. I doubt I would have made it out without him… That is no excuse, I know, but it happened and I cannot change it anymore then you can. But this has nothing to do with us."

"Nothing to do with us? What do you expect from me? You, you – carry his child!" Han shook his head. "You want to keep it. Right? "

Leia stroked her hand over her still flat belly once more.

"Yes, I'll keep it ... How did you know ...? "

"If you'd planed to get rid of it, you would have done it without ever bringing the subject up."

"It is not the Baby's fault, Han. It's mine. Can you forgive me? "

It hurt. Nevertheless, loosing him would hurt more.

"I guess I forgave you the second you said it. That's how much I love you. But… Leia ... do you … love him? "

"What is love, Han? TelI me that. I believe that there are different kinds of love. But if you ask for the kind of love when you know someone with all his faults and still love him and want spend the rest of your life with him, then the answer is no."

"Sounds as if you thought about it a lot lately."

"I did. And I came to the conclusion that I love you. I will not be unfair, Han ... a baby ... does not just happen. You fall in love with a man and it's your choice whether or not you give in to those feelings…. I just ... He is quite brilliant, you know?" She stopped herself before going on and then sighed.

"I knew it was wrong, but somehow ..." Leia felt tears in her eyes. How could she describe her feelings without hurting Han or denying her child's father? She had wanted Thrawn. She knew that, always would. But she had also known that it had been wrong. Even back then. However, there were things one should not put in words.

"But whatever I felt for him, is not what I feel for you. It was nothing that was ever meant to have a future, nothing to build a future life upon. If you really love me, and if you can forgive me, then ... "

Han did not respond. He was probably still too shocked.

Funny how quickly the world could change, and somehow still remained the same. The same appointments, same room ... and the world kept on turning, just as if nothing had happened. Crazy.

"You know I love you, Leia. No matter what you'll do, or already have done, will ever change that ... So ... You haven't answered my question yet."

"Yes. Naturally the answer is yes."

**PP**

The parade had been beautiful and quite breathtaking in its magnitude and grandeur. Leia, who had managed to obtain a seat in the Imperial Box during the parade, now stood at one of the large windows of Imperial Palace and looked out towards the dark, clear sky. She sighed as she listened to the echoes of the fireworks and people celebrating in the streets. It had been a good day.

Then she glanced back into the ballroom. Everyone with rank and name had come, either to present him or herself, to congratulate his majesty, or simply to enjoy the far too expensive wine. It was strange to see Mon Mothma talking to Moff Disra though. Nevertheless, it was nice as long as it lasted.

Leia lifted her long, red dress, crossed the room and then sat down next to Luke, Lando, Wedge and Han, who shared a table and were obviously still celebrating her engagement.

"Here, Leia." Wedge handed her a glass of champagne, but she shook her head.

"No, thank you. I have a reputation to keep," Leia explained and had her glass refilled with sparkling water.

Wedge looked at Han. "You know there's still time to change your mind, buddy. Looks like there's a …", he searched for the right word, "….rather `dry´ future ahead."

"Don't listen to him, Han. He's only jealous." Luke lifted his glass and toasted to his sister. "To the future."

Leia smiled when her glass met his. "To the future."

She listened only half-heartedly to the conversation Han had with Luke, when she saw _him_ again. For the first time since her abduction. She saw him over her fiancé's shoulder. He was on the other side of the room, talking to Admiral Piett. It was strange how a single person, so far away, could suddenly capture one's full concentration. It was almost like he was the only person in the room and there was nothing, not even a sound, except him.

Leia was not sure how long she had starred at him, when he suddenly turned around and their eyes met. She looked away, down, as fast as she could, but it was no use. He had seen her, she knew it and that knowledge alone was like an electric shock, jolting through her veins, heating up her blood, leaving her insecure. She had known that they would meet again, that she had to tell him… but this was too soon. Maybe he would just walk away, pretending that he hadn't seen her. Leia dared to look up again and felt her heart racing. No, he had seen her, and he was coming over.

She could barely remember him wearing anything but rags and now here he was, an Imperial Grand Admiral, in full regalia. He looked….impeccable. There was no other word to describe him. Both his white uniform and his body, were perfect. There was no mark, nor scratch, or hair out of line and in his blinding white uniform with the shiny golden buttons, he looked more than ever like a God, humbling the mortals with his presence. Leia forced herself to look away. He had noticed, no doubt.

"I am pleased to see you again, Princess." She heard a deep, balanced and quite familiar voice from behind.

"The pleasure is all mine, Grand Admiral." She smiled and turned around. "Have you met Commander Skywalker yet?"

"Admiral." The two men shook hands.

"Only briefly. But his reputation precedes him, of course."

His gaze flicked to Leia for a second and then went back to Han and Luke.

"It was not my intention to interrupt such an illustrious gathering, but might it be possible to relieve you of the princess' company for a while? We have been through a lot lately, and therefore I was hoping to talk to her in private."

 _How did men do it?_ Leia wondered, not for the first time. Women always looked, thought, analyzed and waited - until it was too late. And men just walked over and then it sounded like the easiest and most natural thing in the world.

"Yes, of course." Luke looked over to his sister.

"That is, if Leia agrees", Han said, looking suspiciously at Thrawn.

"Don't worry." Leia smiled, leaned over the table and kissed Han lightly on the lips assuring him, before walking over to the Grand Admiral. "I'll be right back."

Wedge grinned at Han while he watched the two leave the main ball-room.

"Sure that was a smart thing, Solo?" He teased when he saw the shadow on his friend's face.

"You better shut up before I come over and do something you'll regret." It was meant to sound funny, but somehow didn't and when Solo leaned back, Luke saw his eyes shooting daggers at the Admiral's back. Something wasn't right here.

…

…

"Not perfect, but better than any room within the palace." Thrawn put his glass down on the balcony's cornice and then closed the door behind him.

Leia nodded. Of course, she had not thought of that.

"How are you?"

Leia stood with her back to the balcony's stone balustrade, her hands playing with the crystal glass in her hand. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"I am glad to hear it. You did not look well the last time I saw you."

Leia nodded. "Yes, I had to stay in a bacta-tank for a couple of days."

"My apologies that there was no time for a visit or a proper goodbye at the time. I am afraid I have a rather demanding job."

"There is no need for an apology. You got `Alpha Red´ and with that probably saved us all. Thank you ... I take it that was not an easy task."

Thrawn leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest.

"No, even though it should have been. It was an immoral decision to keep `Alpha Red´ to themselves. During war collateral damage is inevitable, but to witness entire races being extinguished while having the means to prevent it equals genocide."

"What will you do now?"

"At the moment I do not have enough information to fully answer that question, but contrary to popular belief, I have no desire to watch my people suffer. And there is no doubt in my mind that they do suffer under Imperial rule. Nevertheless, the Chiss are too proud for their own good and Imperial control allows me to correct some basic Chiss doctrines and political ideologies, which I deem necessary in order to prevent a major cultural collapse in the foreseeable future. However, I have powerful enemies on Csilla ..."

He looked at Leia intensely. "And what about you? Princess Leia Organa, Respectable Senator? Rebel of the solar system? Or heroine of the galaxy? What would you like this time?"

"This time, I thought of something a little less grand, but worthwhile... Han proposed to me."

He cocked an eyebrow at Leia. Maybe, just maybe, she had actually surprised him this time.

"Domestic life? I see. A little hard to imagine at the moment, but congratulations nonetheless."

"Thanks."

Silence.

Thrawn took a deep breath. "I will leave in four hours and this time wanted to say goodbye properly. Apparently, the border regions are in chaos and his majesty wishes to restore Imperial control as soon as possible. It looks pretty bad if one can believe the first reports. After that I would like to go to Csilla. I am not sure when I will return."

He stretched out a hand towards her and pulled her into a wordless embrace.

"Goodbye, Leia."

They stood silently, while his chin rested on the top of her head. _This was it. This was goodbye._ Leia kept her eyes closed and breathed in his scent one last time. He smelled good, he always smelled good. She couldn't define of what, only that it was powerful and pleasurable. She remembered that her biology teacher had once told them that the smell of a person was actually an indicator of genetic compatibility. She smiled. If he had been right, she would have a perfectly healthy baby. _His baby._ Suddenly she was scared again. She had to tell him… Now or never.

"I'm pregnant." His hand froze on her back and Leia released the breath she did not know she had been holding. "I do not expect anything. I just wanted you to know."

He pushed her away a little and then slowly lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Is it mine?" Angrily she pushed away his hand and then freed herself completely from his embrace.

"Otherwise I would not have told you, would I? Of course it's yours!"

Too late he realized his faux pas and then stared at Leia, who, in her hormone-induced haze, leashed out before thinking.

"Just a few minutes together and I have to apologize to you for a second time… My only excuse is that this is the first time I am faced with a situation like this. My reaction was inappropriate. I am sorry. You wanted me to be happy, but your pregnancy is disadvantageous ... on many levels."

 _No, she would not cry now!_ She had mentally prepared herself for this conversation time and again. _She would not fall apart now!_ Instinctively she avoided his eyes, while fighting for control.

"As I said, I do not expect anything of you…. but I will have this baby."

His impassive mask cracked for a moment, and he displayed some amalgamation of shock and regret when the underlying implications of her words sank in. This, surely, was unknown territory to him.

"I never intended to imply anything of that sort. I…." He looked at her attentively.

"I am sure you know the reasons for my initial hesitation, but that does not mean that I do not want the child to be born. I would not ask that of you."

"Most men in your position would."

He smiled a rare smile at Leia. "Perhaps I am pretentious in saying so, but I am not `most men´ and I am not in the habit of comparing my behavior to the lowest common denominator either." He slowly pulled her back into his arms. "Besides, I refuse to be that irresponsible. So, please, stop crying, Leia. You have no reason to. We will have a child."

He carefully wiped away some of her tears as the the last fireworks in the Coruscanti sky died away.

The war was over and all was well.

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	7. Epilogue

Leia went into her daughter's bedroom. Of course she had once again fallen asleep with her head on a thick book. Leia sighed and smiled tiredly, shaking her head. Typical. Quietly she removed the flashlight and the book from underneath her sleeping daughter and already wanted to leave, when she suddenly noticed a still active data-pad on her nightstand.

…

Homework

Name: Victoria Organa

Title: The Waroom Invasion

In purely political terms, the Waroom Invasion was rather insignificant. Only five years after the Galactic Unification, Emperor Palpatine resolved the Galactic Senate once more, which consequently led to Civil War and the revival of the Rebel Alliance. Thus, on a larger scale, the political situation has hardly influenced by the invasion.

Territorially, the destruction of two major star-systems can be noted, as well as the annexation of the Chiss Ascendancy by the Galactic Empire.

On a personal note, I am probably the only one in this class who is happy about the invasion. I know that is not entirely fair, because of the tremendous loss of lives, but without the Invasion, I would not exist. I do not know much about my parents' relationship, but I know they got to know each other during this intergalactic crisis.

Furthermore, I regret that the Galactic Unification did not last. Here again, one has to distinguish between politically and personal regret. Politically, I do not think that the larger objectives of the two major political fractions are too different to overcome and if the Waroom should ever return, I am certain that we will need each other to prevail. Personally, I am sad that I do not know my father. He is an Imperial Officer and by the time the second Civil War started, I was still too young to actually remember him and now I am afraid I never will. I do not know how and why it all happened – for that I am probably too young anyway…

…

The recording ended there, left in its fragmented state, either to finish it later or to abandon it completely, Leia did not know. Thoughtfully, she looked at the sleeping figure in front of her, as she slowly sat on the bed. She had had no idea how Victoria thought about her father. Or that she thought about him at all. Only once had she inquired about him and that had been years ago. Leia stroked through the little one's raven-black hair and sighed. She was her father's daughter; so similar and yet so different at times.

Leia heard Jacen and Jaina's giggling from the room next door. Sleep was surely not in any of her children's blood.

Her eyes returned to her eldest daughter. One day she would meet her father. But not yet.

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	8. Reconnect

She saw him for the first time in nearly ten years, long enough to forget about him, almost. It was frightening how quickly one could forget someone. Months and the mental image of a person, the memory of them, began to fade. Years and one had to concentrate in order to remember their voice. And then, in between, there were moments in which those memories were entirely clear again. Sometimes only a smell, a sound passed and the memory came back once again.

Leia was excited and at the same time knew that his visit did not directly concern her. He had not come for her, but for their daughter. Leia Organa Solo looked across the table to Victoria. She was also excited and she was trying in vain to hide it. Victoria had hardly touched her food and she kept looking for him again and again. Probably out of fear that he might not come. But then she saw him and stared at him, before quickly returning her gaze to her plate again. Leia had rarely seen her daughter that nervous.

Everything had started a few weeks ago when Han had silently put the Holonet bill on her desk. Usually the Holonet bill was paid and Leia did not care for it much, but when she saw the list of visited sites, she knew why Han had found them significant. During the last week, Victoria had visited thousands of Holosites which were all directly or indirectly connected with her father. Some she had saved, others she had only read. Come to think of it, it was more surprising that Victoria never talked about him than to find out that she had been investigating him. Nevertheless, Leia had found little sleep that night.

The next afternoon, she had tried to speak to her daughter, not knowing for sure who would find the conversation more troubling.

"Victoria?" Leia had just knocked on the door and then entered her daughter's bedroom. She found her sitting at her desk surrounded by a couple of math books.

"Hi, Mom."

"Is this your homework?"

"Yes. Unfortunately. "

Leia smiled. "I don't hear that often." She stroked through her daughter's thick, dark hair.

"Yes, but math is a little dry. I mean, it's not that I don't understand it. It's just so ... predictable? Boring? I don't know." She smiled, stretched her arms over her head and leaned back. "What's going on? You look as if someone had died."

Leia had taken a chair and sat beside her daughter. "Honey, this is a list of the holosites you visited in the last four weeks." Leia put the list down on the desk without a word. The search terms spoke for themselves: `Grand Admiral Thrawn' ,' Thrawn ',` Mitth'raw' nuruodo ', `Chiss',` Csilla', the list was long. "How long have you been doing this?"

Victoria refused to answer and stared out of the window.

"Victoria, I am not angry with you. I can even understand your curiosity. Please, talk to me."

"It's not forbidden. I know you don't like him, but ... he is my father, Mom. My real father."

Leia needed to pull herself together. She herself had not been raised by her biological father, yet Bail had always been wonderful to her. She had known that he was not her real father, but she had never longed for her real father. Never had she felt the desire to know him or meet him, and the fact that her daughter felt differently hurt somehow. Mostly because this suggested that Victoria had never really accepted Han as her father, even if he had always done his best to fit that role, and - at least from Leia's perspective – did not treat her children differently.

But perhaps it was because Victoria had known her real father, even if it had only been briefly. Thrawn always had had very little time, yet he had visited them when he had been on Coruscant and somehow Victoria had never forgotten that. Leia, in turn, had never known or met her biological father as a child. And therefore had nothing to let go of in the first place.

"I know, Victoria. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that you had to remove him from your life completely. If you want to know something, just ask. If I know it, I'll tell you. It would be less painful to me than to find you searching the Holonet behind my back."

Victoria then began to ask questions at an incredible speed. For the most part, Leia could not answer them and the ones she could were more emotional than she cared to admit.

"Honey, I barely knew your father. And I've never been to Csilla. I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Leia would not soon forget how terrible that confession felt and the way Victoria had looked at her, in a mix of hurt and confusion.

That evening Leia had had a long talk with Han. Victoria was now 14 years old, a difficult period for any child - they were unsure, trying to find their place in the world and form their own personality. But this process seemed to be even more difficult for Victoria. She was not even sure of who she was. Half human, half Chiss. She did not seem to fit in the universe somehow and looked different than everyone else. It had not been easy for Leia to finally decide to contact Thrawn and explain to him that Victoria had begun asking questions - questions that she could not answer.

And now here they were. Three weeks later, on a small, insignificant edge planet, far from Coruscant and its media circus, in an average restaurant, which claimed to serve the galaxy's best pasta. Victoria and Leia had already placed their order, as Thrawn was obviously late. Nevertheless, Leia was certain that he would show up. He would keep his word.

She had rarely seen him in a civilian environment and she was almost surprised to see him in a black coat and a matching sweater. It was not long until he recognized them from the other end of the restaurant and started his way over to them. A small, gray creature followed him at a distance and sat down at a table not far behind them. A body guard, Leia assessed, slightly appalled. 'Alone' meant something else to her, but he probably had too many enemies to go anywhere truly alone without fear of being attacked. Everything in life came with a price.

"Hello, Victoria." His eyes rested on the small figure right in front of him tensely holding her fork. It was apparent that neither of them knew what to do with each other. Should she shake hands with him? That seemed a bit too formal; he was her father after all. On the other hand, he was also a perfect stranger.

"Um ... Hi ..." He seemed to wait for her to say more. "... Uh, thank you for coming, Sir. I know you have very little time and that you have better things to do than to meet with me and that it must not have been easy to... "

"Do not worry about it. I'm here, at last. And please, there is no need for such formalities; we surely have known each other for too long for that."

Thrawn then looked to Leia. "Hello, Leia." He smiled and breathed a fleeting kiss on her cheek. "You look good." He sat down with them.

"Thank you." Leia reached for her wine.

A nice compliment, but Leia was sure that after 14 years and three children, she surely did not look as 'good' as he remembered. Probably only courtesy forbade him to say otherwise.

He ordered a seafood dish with white wine. Both Leia and Thrawn had spent much time at negotiating tables with unavoidable allies, so it was not difficult for them to engage in polite conversation about completely trivial and innocuous topics, while Victoria just silently sat, absorbing each word like a sponge.

"... Myrtol is an outlying planet, so that a Chiss is not really noticed. I hope your husband didn't mind having to fly into the far Unknown Regions. It is not completely harmless, even if this corner of the Universe belongs to the safer ones."

"You know Han. Of course he was not thrilled, but I think he was happy to get out again – for the experience. Since the twins...we have become very settled."

He put his dish aside, took the glass of white wine in his hand and stared intently at Victoria. She was not very similar to him. Her skin was light, lighter than his. Her hair, on the other hand, was definitely his. Her features were still childlike and how she would look as a grown woman, was still impossible to say, but he assumed that she would be taller than her mother soon.

Her eyes were clearly human. There were Leia's brown eyes and like hers, they were like windows to the child's soul. So much was reflected in them, yet he could hardly estimate it. The thought depressed him. He had probably spent years analyzing and getting to know his opponents, but his daughter he barely knew.

"For someone with many questions, you are very quiet."

Victoria swallowed. "I don't know ... I ... It's nice just to listen. I think maybe I wonder what it might have been like." She pointed to her parents. "You two ... and I…"

Every person at some point asked what would have happened if this or that had been done or not done. But a normal family - no, they would never have been that. Thrawn sat his glass down again. "No, Victoria. It would have never worked. Or very, very rarely."

She seemed to be hurt a little and looked into her glass. "I know ..."

"Good. Do not long for things that cannot be, it is not worth it. Your mother told me you had many questions, I know that this is probably all a bit much, but I am here now. So what do you want to know?"

He was a little too objective for Victoria's taste. A little too cold. Was he only here to check her off a list of things to do? Answer her questions and then be gone?

"Well," Victoria nodded and then looked at him directly. "Very well, how about this? Why did you never try to contact me? I was your child. I never understood why you were suddenly gone and didn't come and visit me anymore. I missed you

"Oh, honey." Leia reached for Victoria's hand, as she saw the tears in her daughter's eyes.

But Victoria pushed her away. "Leave me! And don't act as if you're sorry." She calmed down a little and drank the rest of her drink if only to have something different to do. She had managed that well.

"Victoria, please look at me." There were officers within his Starfleet who had problems looking directly at him and demanding the same of a 14-year-old girl that, in some ways, he had only just met, seemed somehow unfair. But she managed remarkably well. "I did not voluntarily abandon you. I could not see you because I did not know where you were."

"You never searched for me."

He wanted to say: 'Victoria, you're usually such a clever girl…' But then he realized that she probably knew, but needed to hear the words coming from his mouth. "If anyone else had taken you away from me, I would have turned the galaxy upside down to recover you. But you were with your mother, who loves you above everything. If I had found the rebellion and helped Lord Vader, would that really have pleased you? And what if I had found you? Should I take your mother, siblings and Captain Solo to jail? No. The moment the civil war started and your mother made a decision - with which I did not agree - I could not look for you." Victoria was still staring down. "I am not indifferent towards you, Victoria. Quite the opposite."

After that was clarified, they returned to something resembling normalcy. Victoria asked questions about the Chiss and how much they resembled humans, about Csilla and whether they had any relatives there. Thrawn tried to answer all her questions and only sometimes left them unanswered, mostly when his work was concerned.

"... No, mainly it's rather dull. What you see in the Holo-News, these are the big events. But the everyday life is different and also the big battles are prepared well in advance. It's very rare that you get up in the morning and still have no idea that you will be engaged in a space battle that evening. Real life is usually different to a movie and less exciting."

"Why do you do it then?"

"Good question. I do not know myself exactly. But when I was young I had to make a decision at some point about what I wanted to do with my life. For me it was to study either art history or military strategy. I enjoyed both, but the difference was that: a.) the military's pay is simply better and b.) it is more interesting in the long run. Art history would eventually have bored me to death. With what I'm doing now, there is very much at stake and there are always new opponents and the risk becomes higher and higher. Make one mistake and it could probably be your last. Many people find that kind of responsibility terrifying and do not trust themselves with big decisions. I think I need it and through my decisions, I can also bring about change. Power is like an addiction, just like the adrenaline during a fight. No matter how long I look at a work of art, it is not the same as thinking you may die at any moment or the feeling you get when you have survived. I do not know if that answers your question."

Victoria spooned the last of her ice cream. "But it does."

"And what about you? Do you already know what you want to do when you grow up?"

Victoria shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. There's nothing I could think of now that I might want to do for the rest of my life. But military strategy doesn't sound so bad."

"Please do not." Thrawn laughed. "No, little one, from this choice I would dissuade you. For me, this is good, but it's also very, very hard work. And it is not always fun. And one must forgo very much, for example - family. When you're young, then everything is still so far away and not of much concern. As you get older, it is different. I would've liked to have had a normal life...and then again, I do not know how long I would have endured it. In addition, women work much harder to obtain my same position – and do not do it."

"If my daughter registers on Carida behind my back, you'll be in trouble." Leia laughed.

"Don't worry, Mom. It was just an idea. I really don't know yet."

Meanwhile it was dark and most of the guests were already gone.

"I think we should pay." Thrawn nodded and waved the waiter over and paid the bill.

The cold wind whistled in their ears as they left the premises and snow covered the landscape.

"Is it even colder on Csilla than here?" Victoria asked suddenly.

"In the winter, yes."

"Oh." Colder...that was currently difficult to imagine. It was good that they did not live on Csilla. Victoria saw her father's bodyguard disappear in the shadow of the entrance. Was he not cold? She took her scarf and went to the strange creature. It was quite ugly, but the poor thing could not help that.

"Here, for you."

Ruhke looked in disbelief at Victoria for a moment and then took the scarf. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied and returned to her mother.

It was time to go.

**PP**

As overdue as the meeting with his daughter might have been, Thrawn was happy to return to the Chimaera. She was his true home and dealing with a teenager was not really his area of expertise. The reunion with Leia in turn, had been much easier than he had feared. Thrawn entered the hangar and stared into the empty void.

"Thrawn to the Chimaera. Where is the space shuttle?"

"Chimera to Grand Admiral Thrawn." The connection was bad and scratchy with interference. "Sir, can you hear me? The Myrtol spaceport has denied giving us permission to land. It is expecting a rather violent blizzard and they have informed us that no space shuttle will be permitted to takeoff or land within the next 12 hours."

Wonderful. "Thrawn here. What about the ISS2? The Advanced Shuttle? Would her shields withstand a snow storm?"

There was a short break. "Negative, Sir. And we are still in the testing phase."

Thrawn shook his head in disbelief. Every time he met Leia Organa, the day ended in a nightmare. First he was kidnapped by the Waroom and now, by all appearances, he was caught in a snow storm. He was not superstitious, but he and Leia together, seemed to have no good karma.

"Understood. Tell Captain Pellaeon that I am to report back in T minus 12 hours. The Chimaera belongs to him until further notice. Thrawn out."

Where had Leia gone? Hangar 22? He was not sure, but went in the direction of the remote hangars. Maybe the Falcon had already landed and was not allowed to takeoff. With a little luck he could stay there, perhaps until the storm was over. Although he had little desire to see Solo again. And if the Falcon had not gotten permission to land, he still had to attend to Leia and Victoria. Thrawn reached Hangar 22 and...nothing.

"Leia?" No answer.

He did not have her com-frequency and she did not have his. It had been too dangerous and now it was just another annoyance. Their meeting here had been coordinated by an independent agent on Coruscant.

"Leia?" Again no answer. Perhaps he had the incorrect hangar number.

He went back to the main entrance and to the information center. There were remarkably few people left working at the space port and the queue to the information desk was long. Probably most people were already on their way home due to the snow storm. What did he want to ask, anyway? Solo would never have checked in under his real name. The whole thing really made little sense. Suddenly it was his turn at the information desk.

"Sorry. I am looking for a woman: human, about 1.64m, brown hair and her daughter: 14 years, half Chiss, light-blue skin, black hair. Have you seen them?"

The older Roderian woman looked slightly incredulous at Thrawn. "So, you think I have the time to notice everyone who wanders in and out of here? Thousands come through here every day and I am under constant stress. So, unless you have something else to ask…Good day! Oh, and one more thing, the storm is coming in about 45 minutes and the shelters here are only to be used by the ground staff. In other words: You have to leave. Got it?"

Thrawn was tempted to ask the woman to make an announcement, but then realized that that would only expose him further and most likely everything was in order anyway. The two were probably already on board the Falcon, playing at the holo-chess table or watching a movie. Nevertheless, he did not feel particularly comfortable with the idea of not knowing where the two were staying.

"Yes, thank you."

…

Leia could not believe it. A snow storm! Han did not have permission to land and had muttered something about a `huge Star Destroyer ', while Thrawn was God knows where. He had probably gotten that blasted permission without trouble! Leia shook her head. The man brought bad luck. Just bad luck.

What now? Leia looked over to her daughter. "Ok, honey. Now we have to look around for a hotel or other accommodations. This is certainly not the first time that something like this has happened here. I am sure they are prepared for snow storms. Don't worry."

Victoria hoped that her mother wasn't just saying that to calm herself. The space port was frighteningly empty. When would the storm arrive here? The only people left seemed to be employees and some town residents that were using their last chance to make purchases at the space port and...

"Dad!" Victoria took her mother's arm and pulled her to the right. "Mom, look! Just look! There!" She pointed at the information stand and in fact, Thrawn's people seemed to not have received permission to land either.

…

"Dad!" For a moment, Thrawn didn't know what had surprised him more, that he had found the two of them or that Victoria had called him 'Dad'. It was the first time in 10 years that she had called him that and therefore it was probably the first time she had done so deliberately. That alone had made the trip worthwhile. He was her father and not Han Solo.

Victoria pulled her mother behind her. "We couldn't get out either," she beamed and did not seem to be particularly distressed about the snow storm. "Were you looking for us?" She asked enthusiastically and looked inquiringly to the information booth.

"I was indeed. But it seems that is no longer necessary." His eyes turned to Leia. "Looks like we're stuck here."

She folded her arms in front of her chest and pressed her lips together. "Yes, so it would seem."

Leia could not help but eye the entire situation critically. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that Thrawn had staged the whole thing. But why? Moreover, he couldn't influence the weather. This was just the result of a higher force. Nothing else.

The hotels near the harbor were shabby to say the least and the rooms were also not very nicely appointed. On top of that, the drugs and red-light districts did not seem to be very far away. In other words - it was a typical dockland area.

"Can't we go somewhere else?"

Thrawn tried in vain to connect to HoloNet with his communicator. "Yes, if you know where any reasonably acceptable hotels are."

"At the restaurant I've saw one that was-"

"At least 30 minutes away from here and definitely out of my price range." He took an ID card from his pocket.

…

Name: Fibrax'Safreg

Gender: Male

Race: Chiss

Homeworld: Csilla

Born: 7 BBY

Occupation: Restaurateur

…

A good fake.

"I can hardly check-in as my true self with you two in tow, can I? And even if I would find a way, in such a hotel somebody might recognize us." He shook his head.

Leia sighed. He was right, and she had not even thought of bringing a fake ID. She was not used to live with such excitements any longer.

"It's no use. I can't get a stable signal. The storm has blocked everything. We just have to look and take the next best hotel we can find." He eyed his surroundings briefly. "Also, I would suggest that we buy something to eat and drink."

"But won't the storm be over in 12 hours?" Leia looked inquiringly at Thrawn.

"Maybe. On the other hand, if all the people shop here as if there were no tomorrow, I suggest we do the same. Usually, the natives have a far better sense for such things. We can always throw it away if we do not needed."

He gave Victoria some credits, and pointed to a small supermarket. "Only buy what you know and something to drink. I do not know if you can drink the tap water here. Your mother and I will look at a couple of hotels in the vicinity. We will meet right back here."

He waved his hand and suddenly Rukh emerged from out of nowhere. Leia had almost forgotten about him. He did his job well.

"You will accompany my daughter."

"Of course, Sir." Rukh bowed deeply and then followed Victoria. She did not seem to understand the concept of an 'unseen' bodyguard yet, as she walked happily besides the Noghri, talking to him.

Thrawn chuckled, shook his head in disbelief and then turned to Leia. "We should hurry."

The first two hotels turned out to be brothels and the third was so dirty that Leia refused to enter it at all. But down a side street there was finally a reasonably acceptable accommodation. The 'o' in the Hotel's illuminated sign no longer worked and the run-down rose pattern wallpaper in the entrance area had, as the entire hotel, apparently seen better days.

"Not exactly the 'Imperial Hotel', but we will probably find no better tonight."

Leia nodded. They would only be there for 12 hours. And nobody, least of all her, had said anything about 'sleeping' in here. "Well, you check in and I'll get Victoria."

…

When Leia returned with Victoria and a heavily laden Rukh, the receptionist already waved them in from behind the counter desk. He was a flying, gray being with large, blue eyes. Yet somehow he looked nice.

"Room 312. Your husband is already up and we'll take care of the cot."

"Cot?" Leia repeated incredulously. And the guy thought that they were married. This day kept getting better and better.

"Yes, we are fully booked! You got the last room. But for emergencies like these, we always have cots in the basement!" He beamed at Victoria and Leia. "And let me help you with the bags." He grabbed Rukh's bags and flew, cheerfully whistling up the stairs. The blizzard had probably brought him the business of the century.

Leia was about to enter the room, when Rukh silently disappeared in a dark corner next to the entrance.

"Don't you want to come in?"

"I am not permitted to enter the chambers of my Lord. I only guard it."

Leia nodded. "What if you need some food or a drink?"

Rukh nodded in what was probably equal to a 'thank you'. "I am not new to this business, Lady Organa-Solo. Do not worry about me."

Leia smiled, nodded and then went inside.

Room 312 was not much better than the rest of the hotel. A house dust allergy would probably be fatal here. Leia beat the pillow on the cushioned sofa, which was positioned in front of the Holo-TV, and coughed as a cloud of dust erupted all around her. She waved her hand and batted the dust away as she gave a tortured look to Thrawn.

"How come I always enjoy the shabbiest accommodations when I am with you?"

Their current accommodation consisted of a living room - which simultaneously housed the kitchenette - with a fireplace, an old Holo-TV, a table, a sofa and an armchair. A 'refresher', which really did not deserve the name, because it consisted of a shower, a toilet and a sink and everything was so close together, that the shower probably rained on the toilet, if one was actually brave enough to use it. Finally, there was a small bedroom with a double bed.

Wonderful. But since she would not sleep here anyway, it did not matter.

Instead of answering her, Thrawn moved into the kitchen to help Victoria unpack the bags. Perhaps he should not have let the teenager do the shopping. Her shopping consisted to 90% of chips and other sweets.

"I hope this is the result of a spontaneous decision and does not reflect your normal eating habits."

Victoria grinned. "You said I should buy what I know."

He raised an eyebrow and eyed her skeptically. "Hmm. So I did." And I won't do it again anytime soon. His unspoken words floated through the air.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The flying creature and two humanoids carried a metal cot, blankets and pillows into the room. Then a third, rather stupid looking powerful being, that resembled a giant purple fur ball entered the room. It was carrying a basket with wooden sheaths and then set them down next to the fireplace.

"Let me guess? No heating?" Leia asked, but her voice betrayed that is was no question.

"Yes. But the fireplace is great! Always works! And if you need more wood, we have enough in the cellar! The door next to the reception. Help yourself!"

What a luxury hotel this was! You could get as much wood as you wanted -from the basement…by hand! Leia was not sure whether to laugh or cry.

"So that's about it. If you need anything, just use the inter-comm. The receptionist is the 1." The flying creature grinned broadly and with that the bizarre-looking team left the room again.

Terrific!

Leia began to shake the cushions and bedding out of the window. Once the snow storm came, she would be unable to do so and she would have to sit down sooner or later. In the meantime Thrawn had begun to set up the cot behind the sofa and Victoria was - not surprisingly – inspecting the television.

"Look, Mom, they have 200 holo-movies to choose from and each only costs 3 credits. All you have to do is to enter the code with the remote control and then pay when you check out!" Her eyes slid over the list. "Most of them are quite old...but there are some classics here. Ones you don't mind seeing over again!"

Suddenly an alarm rang and something like a second metal wall slid from top to bottom over the houses of the city. Probably a kind of protective wall. Snow storms were undoubtedly not too unusual here. Leia had just enough time to pull the pillows back inside before their windows darkened and gray metal was the only thing to be seen. Thrawn came to her and reviewed the material. He ran an appraising finger over it and looked at it with confidence.

"Durasteel. With different insulating plastics mixed in. That should hold. However, it might still get very cold in here. I will get more wood before the other guests have the same idea."

Yet before he had reached the door, the light began to flicker and something crashed with terrific force against the durasteel cover of the hotel. Leia could have sworn that the hotel had shaken for several seconds and noticed that her fingers firmly clutched the window frame. The snow storm had arrived. And so had the cold. Within seconds, the room temperature dropped noticeably by several degrees.

"I'll make the fire."

With the fireplace and the Holo-TV as the only sources of light and the warmth that the fire was providing, the situation was not so bad. Thrawn had thrown clean sheets over the sofa and the armchair and the three now watched a movie that Victoria had chosen from the Holo-list. It was a romantic comedy in which a slightly clumsy, but rich Legionnaire and an intelligent, but poor spice smuggler, fell in love. Some dialogues were quite amusing, but overall the movie was terribly predictable and naive.

"And how did you like it?" Victoria finally released the bag of chips and looked at her parents inquiringly. They seemed less than thrilled. "Don't tell me you didn't like it? That was so funny! And wasn't Robert Gray totally sweet, Mom?"

Leia sat with her on the sofa and made a wry face. "Well, I don't know. Maybe I'm just a little too old for such films. The main thing is that you liked it."

How could her mother not like the movie? A couple of years ago, it had even won the Coruscant Cosmic Cinema award!

"Dad?"

"I think it was by far the worst movie I have ever seen. From the moment where he proposed marriage to her, it was extremely...bad." He said in his absolutely, perfectly modulated, emotion-free voice.

Leia laughed. She could not hold it back. If she would tell Luke that she had watched 'Love, Lust and Legions' with Thrawn, he would never believe her! She could hardly believe it herself! But that he did not like the movie, she could believe. No man would.

"I think I like the scene best in which he explained to her why he could not live without her, and then jumped selflessly in front of a gilder." Leia could not stop laughing.

"Mom!" Victoria crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought it was good!"

"Such men do not exist, honey! They are fiction."

"You just say that because you're old and bitter!"

Thrawn looked slightly horrified at Victoria, not quite believing she would talk that way to her mother. But Leia did not seem to be offended at all.

"Yes, my dear, old and bitter, but, unfortunately, also much wiser and your mother. Therefore...," Leia took the list out of Victoria's hand, "We will choose the next movie."

"I will not watch any documentaries about illness or genocide in the Akara sector." Victoria grumbled and reached for the fruit juice.

"After the trash that you just made us watch, you will have to suffer through whatever we choose now, young lady." She held the list to the side so Thrawn could also look at it as well.

"No thank you. I think I have seen enough holos for today. Besides, the titles I have seen so far do not ring a bell."

Leia did not really want to watch another film either, but there was nothing else to do and they had only managed to kill three hours so far. Silently, she looked at Thrawn for a moment. For him, it was probably a lot worse than for Victoria and herself. He was not able to speak freely with them, not really. He was also not accustomed to living with a teenager. He returned her glance briefly. What else could they possibly do? She could think of nothing. They did not have much in common really.

"Any brilliant ideas, Admiral?"

"No, unfortunately not." He reached for the list. " 'Katie's First Kiss', 'Love Actually', 'Nothing Can Separate Us'..." He eyed the list somewhat tormented. "Judging by the titles, some of these holos could easily be applied during an imperial interrogation. It appears like one would have to choose between bad and worse."

Leia laughed again.

Then he looked back on the list. "Here, number 16, 'The Death List.' "

"That was so clear." Grumbled Victoria and began typing the code, but grinned from ear to ear.

The death list. Oh dear.

…

After approximately half an hour Victoria had seen enough to know that action movies with political undertones were not her thing. In addition, her eyelids grew heavy.

"I think I'll lie down." She rummaged in her pockets. Perhaps she would listen to a little music before she fell asleep. "Do I get the bed? It is quieter." She pointed to the Holo.

"That was the plan. You and your mother, you get the bed and I stay here. "

"Ok. I hope I can sleep. I have never slept with all my clothes on." She rummaged in her pockets again, and then put all the potentially hard objects that might disturb her on the kitchen counter.

"Good night."

" 'Night, sweetheart." Leia looked after her, then lowered her head back to the sofa and looked at Thrawn. "You know, when she was young she always wanted a goodnight kiss and now she throws a terrible fit whenever I get near her. As if I would carry a contagious disease..."

"I think that is normal. She does not want to be treated like a child anymore and is still not a grown up yet ... a difficult time. Especially for the parents. A task that I would certainly not master as well as you do."

"There are days, I must confess, when I feel as though I don't know what I'm doing." Leia admitted, reaching for the bag of potato chips.

"But you had a good role model in Bail and Breha Organa. My own father died when I was still quite young and my mother was...let's just say she did what she could, but often struggled to handle my brother and sometimes probably me, too."

"Believe me, at this age all parents struggle with their children. She is a lot like you, you know?"

He looked at her inquiringly. "And that statement is based on what?"

"Quite simple really, all the things that I cannot assign either to me or my family, must have come from you."

"Ah ... Am I right in thinking that, if I follow this peculiar logic, all her negative traits are mine?"

Leia grinned. "Of course." Then she sipped at her glass briefly and laughed softly. "No, she also has some good qualities from you. She is inquisitive and loves books. She absorbs them like a sponge. We have no books here, but if there were, she would read them. She is stubborn, likes challenges and loves to win. She always has to win. This is perhaps not a good attitude, but I am sure that she inherited it from you."

"Sounds familiar."

Leia laughed. "See? I told you!" She pointed to the now empty seat next to her. "Come, sit down with me. It looks strange if you sit in that armchair meters away when it's just the two of us. Besides, I'm cold."

"And there I thought you might have had ulterior motives after all." He stood up and threw some more wood sheath into the fire, before sitting down next to her. She truly was cold. Instinctively, he reached out to her and rubbed her upper arms, then seemed to have a better idea, stood up again and returned with the cover of the cot.

"Here."

Leia drew the blanket around herself gratefully, until her body was nestled tightly inside of it. "I've always had low blood pressure," she explained, "and if I get too little sleep, I become even colder."

"You should you lie down," he said pointing to the bedroom.

But Leia just raised a questioning eyebrow and looked at him as if he were not in his right mind. "In the bed? No, thank you. The whole apartment is disgusting. If I go to sleep here small, ugly creatures will probably crawl all over me."

Thrawn smiled and felt tired as she leaned on him. The situation was bad enough; they could at least make the best of it. So he raised his left arm and turned slightly to the right so that they could both see the Holo, while Leia abused him like a pillow. Well, abused was perhaps a little too negative a connotation, considering that this position was not exactly unpleasant. And so she rested against his upper body, while he felt her slowly warming up.

…

The holofilm, when compared to the first one, was not too bad. It was about politics and contract murder. On the 'death list' were mainly homosexuals and non-humans, who were not accepted by the government. The film was highly regime critical and Thrawn was slightly surprised that it had not fallen victim to censorship. He checked the cover. Perhaps it had never appeared in the core worlds.

"Is it illegal to be gay in the Navy?" Leia asked incredulously, when the death squads stormed a training school for Navy cadets that, to all appearances, consisted of some homosexuals.

"I beg your pardon!"

Leia pointed to the screen. "Well, look at that."

"One should not believe everything that is shown on the Holo-TV, Princess." Thrawn shook his head and looked at her. "It is surely not encouraged, but unusual sexual preferences do not justify murder."

Leia seemed interested in the subject and he could almost see the small wheels turning in her mind. Suddenly, she sat up straight and looked at him in earnest. "Are there many gays in the military?"

"What?" Thrawn laughed. "The number of gay soldiers within my fleet has never been of importance to me. And since it is most unlikely that this will change anytime soon, I am afraid you will have to excuse my ignorance on this subject."

She tilted her head slightly to one side. "But you must know! I mean, I can well imagine. It would be perfect - only men, together during combat training and in the showers afterwards, sharing quarters…"

"Leia, should I start to worry about you? Men who take a shower together?"

He joked and tried to pull her back to him, but Leia did not give up so easily. "Listen to me. I'm serious."

"Sometimes I seriously wonder what is going on in your head, Leia." He smiled, took a deep breath and pulled her back into his arms. "Alright. There are certainly some. And, as I said, I honestly do not care as long as they do their work. If it does not interfere with their job, it happens in mutual agreement and they find pleasure in it, then why not? The official position of the Emperor would probably sound somewhat differently. So far, I have never heard of anyone experiencing disadvantages due to their sexual orientation. That does not mean it never happened. But if one of the Moffs or anyone in the Admiralty ever had problems with it, it has been resolved quietly. And as I said, I do not care."

Probably a very good attitude, Leia thought as she felt herself relaxing against his body once again. She did feel rather cozy. "Regardless ... I don't really understand it."

"Again, it is something that you do not need to. Do you think there are many Chiss who could imagine being with a human woman? Not many, I believe. But I enjoy it. Even if some of them are quite demanding and have an affinity for asking strange questions."

As soon as he had said it, Leia felt almost physically how the tension in the room rose. The situation was slowly spinning out of control and when she thought about how strongly she had felt for him once, she decided that she should better change the topic, fast.

"Yes, you're right." She looked back to the Holo. "Do you think the big one is one of the bad guys?"

"I see the Holo for the first time, too...but the suspicion inevitably came to mind, because of the data crystal."

Leia nodded, and her right arm went around his waist as she threatened to fall down once more. Why wouldn't he just lie back a little? It would make things a lot easier! She was not comfortable like this and just could not sit anymore – for that she was definitely way too tired. On the other hand, she could not tell him to lie back, or he might get some stupid ideas after all. Anyway, the film was almost over.

…

Thrawn sighed as Leia's head slipped off him once more and this time was lying on his stomach. She was asleep. He considered her for a moment and then absently stroked through her hair. Women. You could not live with them and certainly not without them. The film came to an end and Leia woke up at that very moment he switched off the Holo with the remote control.

"I fell asleep," she observed drowsily, as she sat up slowly, stretched and ran her hand over her eyes. "Damn. I did not want to sleep here."

"At least I can assure you that no ugly creatures crawled all over you."

She smiled at him through half-closed eyes and for a brief moment had the desire to simply climb into his lap and kiss him. How incredible that would feel. But that was probably a very, very stupid idea. When she realized that she had been staring at him a little too long, she tore her eyes away hastily, slid off the sofa and handed him the blanket. "Thank you," she said, her eyes on the wall behind him. "Good night."

"Good night."

…

…

His relationship with Leia was like a puzzle to him. The situation yesterday evening had been typical. And he did not know how to deal with it. Leia had not been the only woman in his life, but she was the mother of his only child. So he could not simply leave when the situation became too complicated. And it was complicated. This was not about sex, even if the physical attraction was undoubtedly there. The living proof of it was at that moment sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying a cereal bar.

And yet Leia and he were like two magnets, that always - just before they met – suddenly changed their polarity, repelling each other again. She wanted him, but at the same time he was sure that Leia Organa Solo would fight tooth and nail, should he actually try to win her. When she had been pregnant with his child she had married Han Solo, head over heels! He shook his head absently. Even now, years later, he could not understand all of what had happened back then. And it was quite alarming that he still thought about it now.

"What on earth does your mother do in the bathroom for such a long time?"

"Long? This is not long. Believe me."

With a loud rumble, the metal cladding ran up the side of the hotel again and the sun light flooded the room. A short time later, a beep signaled that the HoloNet was working again, too. At last, civilization had them back. Thrawn briefly checked some messages and then found the HoloNet page of the spaceport. Victoria, too, was online within seconds and completely absorbed in her communicator.

"Oh super," she beamed. "The spaceport reopened!"

…

…

Leia jumped aside as the door opened by itself after some repeated knocking.

"Hey!" She spun around and tore a few strands of hair out with her brush in the process. Damn, her headdress was hopelessly ruined. "What's this supposed to be, Admiral? Susanna in the bath? If I don't open the door, then I usually have a good reason!"

"Susanna in the bath?" Thrawn looked at her confused.

"Well for someone who is supposedly so well-read, that's a little disappointing. The Bible, Thrawn. The Bible. A true classic. You should read it; it might have a positive influence on you." She clearly enjoyed provoking him.

"I do not think so. I already know the end and it is pretty discouraging." Countered Thrawn and leaned against the door frame.

Leia sighed, and then turned to him coquettishly. "Yes, maybe. Anyway, 'Susanna in the Bath' is the story of the beautiful Susanna, who is spied on by two elderly men while taking a bath and then blackmailed by the two men as they try to get her to commit adultery. I'll tell you this much: It did not end well for the two men."

Thrawn just looked at her and then cleared his throat.

"Um, very interesting. Anyway, I came to tell you that the HoloNet is working again and the first ships have begun their departure. We should get to the spaceport before it becomes too full. Still, your little story was quite interesting…and so was its implication. Nice to know you think me capable of blackmail and other things."

Leia attempted to stare him down, her lips compressed. But then she lost their little duel and sighed. "I'm sorry. That was not fair. When I don't get enough sleep, I can be quite moody."

Yes, that was true, but that was not the reason why Leia had been angry with him. Actually she was not angry with him, but with herself, because of what had almost happened the night before. In a moment of courage, Leia closed the door behind him.

"No, it's not just sleep. I'll be honest with you. It's difficult to be with you again … together … here. There are just too many memories...and I don't know how to handle it. So I prefer to hurt everyone and everything around me, instead of being hurt myself. I'm that way sometimes..."

He walked up to her, until Leia was trapped between him and the sink. "I have no intention to hurt you," she heard him say softly and her hands clung to the sink's rim behind her, as he cautiously grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him with his right hand. Then, slowly, he stroked her cheek with his other. Leia heard her heart pounding in her chest when she looked at him. His face was only inches away from her now and she knew exactly what would happen if she would not…but it was too late. He kissed her, for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He softly brushed his lips over hers, asking for permission. And when she finally opened her mouth and answered him, she knew how it felt to fall, to lose oneself completely in a kiss.

The initial hesitant kiss quickly gained in intensity and passion, and almost subconsciously Leia noticed that she was slowly losing control completely, and it was probably just that feeling of passion and complete loss of control that brought her back to her senses again.

"I can't." She said breathlessly, and pushed him away.

Leia quickly spun around, steadied herself against the sink's edge and stared almost anxiously at the floor in an attempt to reclaim control and clear her mind. When she looked up again, her eyes briefly glanced at the pitiful figure that was staring back at her through the mirror. She had to get out of here! Leia swiftly reached for her hairbrush, threw it forcefully into her bag and then turned to leave. But Thrawn blocked her way.

"Where are you going?" He demanded to know.

"I'm leaving."

"Well, I do not think you are leaving. I think you are running, like always. And what I cannot figure out is: Are you running towards something you want? Or are you running away from something you are afraid to want?"

Leia had already made too many mistakes in her life and did not want to add any more.

"I don't answer to you. You're not my husband. You had no right." Leia whispered firmly and then closed her eyes briefly, presumably to calm down and to prevent their daughter from overhearing their dispute. "Get out of my way," she hissed, clearly angry now.

After a few seconds of silence he obeyed and Leia stormed out of the bathroom.

"Victoria? We're leaving!"

…

It had been stupid. He had known that she would not allow it, and yet he had tried. Why? It was a mystery to him. He was not usually one that dashed into a situation, knowing full well that it was a losing battle. Usually he was the one making the rules; bending them to meet his desires and needs. Yet here, he did not succeed in doing so. Leia Organa was a mystery to him. Like a puzzle that he could not put together. When he thought that she hated him, she came with unmistakable intentions to his bed and when he showed some interest in her, or simply tried to be nice, she pushed him away. It drove him insane and that was probably the reason, or at least one of the reasons why he always came back to her, and had never quite abandoned the thought of her. She was the riddle; the riddle he had not yet solved. She was the woman that did not want him, the woman that had promised her hand to someone else, as she awaited his child. The galaxy might have pitied the cuckolded husband, but from his perspective... He shook his head.

On Csilla there was a very appropriate saying: 'The sweetest fruit is always the hardest to reach'.

For a brief moment he had hoped that Leia would answer his question. That she would explain all that he did not understand, but that had not been the case. He was said to be a brilliant strategist, but here he had failed miserably.

…

Since they had no luggage they checked out quickly. On their way to the spaceport, they hardly spoke a word. Victoria just kept on talking cheerfully in front of them and in general seemed to be rather fascinated by Rukh. Thrawn insisted that he accompany them, in case the Falcon was not there when they arrived. But this time it was.

Solo was under the Falcon and lowered its outer ramp as he saw the group approach.

"Well, it's about time! Mon Mothma has left over 200 messages for you and you know how I hate to talk to politicians."

Leia kissed him on the lips in greeting, and ensured that Thrawn had a good view of the scene. "Yes, I'm aware of that, darling. Every day."

"Maybe I should find a way to hold Leia a day longer - the rebellion would probably be dissolved by then."

"Possibly," Han echoed.

He did not like him. That much was obvious. Nevertheless, he tried to be kind for Victoria's sake.

"Unfortunately, Leia is not the only one with obligations. I have to go."

Thrawn stretched a hand out to Victoria, which she seized without hesitation and embraced him. Teenager or not, at that moment she did not care. She would miss him. Actually, she did not know him well enough for that, and sometimes she was afraid that the picture she had of her father might break, should she ever get the chance to know him better. But perhaps these doubts were unfounded. After all, she knew he was not perfect. Most of her friends despised her father for the battles he had fought for Palpatine. Or were, at the very least not enthusiastic about him.

"Take care." He kissed her briefly on the forehead and then let go of her.

"I will."

Then his eyes turned to Leia, who was standing next to Solo. "And you, too."

Leia nodded and looked to the ground, her arms folded across her chest.

"Solo." The two men shook hands in farewell. "You realize that you carry the most precious cargo in the form of my daughter's life."

"Don't worry. On that matter, I completely agree with you."

Han's eyes lingered on Thrawn as he and his bodyguard left the hangar.

Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this.

 

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews please!


	9. Christmas Wishes

A bored Victoria sat at the kitchen table and poked around in her dinner. Corellian Christmas songs were playing quietly in the background and red and gold Christmas decorations, hanging here and there, completed the perfect family picture. Well, almost perfect.

"But I want the star Holo Game Cube IV, Dad! I need the new Star Holo Game Cube IV! Everyone has it, except me," groaned Jacen.

"Sure, you'll get one. We just have to wait until we win the Imperial Lottery," Han joked. "And then Jaina will get her pony and your mother that inter-stellar cruise she deserves - and I can give the Falcon a complete overhaul."

"The Falcon belongs in a junk press," Victoria murmured softly, as she tried the vegetables.

"What? This ship has saved your ass more than once, young lady. So, show a little more respect, if you please."

Victoria did not answer.

"What is it, darling?" Leia, who had been otherwise occupied before, looked intently at her daughter now. Something was wrong. She had been in a bad mood for days.

"It's nothing."

It was never nothing. Maybe it had something to do with Christmas. This time of year was always stressful and therefore, unfortunately, often missed its intended purpose.

"You haven't told us what you want for Christmas yet." Leia tried to start a conversation.

"You don't have to buy me anything."

Well that was something new. Although Victoria had never been a particularly spoiled child, there had never been a Christmas on which she had not asked for at least 20 books. Last year she had even classified them by price and color-coded them according to their importance.

"Of course, you're gonna get something for Christmas. Don't be childish. So what'll it be?" Drilled Han.

"As I said, I don't want anything." Victoria got up and began to clear the table when the autopilot suddenly swerved. Two plates slammed against the table and then feel to the ground and cracked with a loud clatter. Jacen and Jaina laughed out loud and Victoria exhaled audibly. "I'll put them in the trash compactor. Maybe we should put a functional autopilot on the Christmas list."

...

Back in her room, Victoria threw herself on the bed and cried. This was terrible. It was not the intended nice and peaceful pre-Christmas season, this was hell. They were always on the run from the Empire, never stayed longer than three months on a single planet and, on top of that, they were cooped up on a rusty, old ship. Her mother tried her best to keep up the Christmas spirit, but she failed miserably. Her younger siblings could understand yet, but real life was passing by, happening somewhere out there – without them. Every time she made new friends, they would have to leave again. Her education took place almost exclusively via HoloNet. If she were not very disciplined or naturally eager to learn, she probably would not have any education at all!

They had no money; barely enough to take care of this ship that seemed to be in constant need of repair. The required parts for these repairs were more often than not provided by some 'old friends' with 'special prices' and thus, naturally, they could not be returned if they broke yet again. Sometimes Victoria feared that Han only felt like a man when he was dirty and working on his ship. And only he, the man of the hour, the king of the hydraulic wrench, knew how to repair it.

The ship was old, worn out and its upkeep cost much more than a new ship would. It was crazy to shackle oneself to a rusty, piece of iron out of pure nostalgia! What did she want for Christmas? A normal life! A home, friends, a normal school and maybe a new computer that worked! How long could this go on? What would happen once school was over? She did not know what kind of future Han and her mother had in mind for her, or whether they were thinking about it at all.

Again she heard Jacen and Jaina - this time they were arguing loudly over who was allowed to eat the last of the Christmas cookies. Her siblings were quite nice, but at times definitely too small and annoying. So she spent as much time as possible on the HoloNet or reading, anything that would block out the noise from outside.

...

Not for the first time Victoria visited the HoloNet page of the 'Imperial University of Coruscant'. Only three and a half years and then maybe... The prerequisites were pretty tough. The placement test would probably not be an issue. But the group interviews? The places in the prestigious seminars were limited and so the holes in their filtering-system were pretty small. There were usually two or three interviews with the candidates in a quiz-show type format. Only after you completed three rounds of interviews were you officially registered.

And it was expensive. The tuition fees alone were more than many earned in a year and nothing she could pay for with a part-time job. So she would have to compete for a scholarship and even though she knew that she was not stupid, she was not arrogant enough to assume that she would get one. Maybe her father would pay the tuition fees... Victoria knew that it was foolish to rely on something like that, but the idea was difficult to suppress. She just wanted to go there.

Suddenly she saw a link 'Searching for Young Talents', and she clicked on it.

…

Young Talent Wanted! Four-week trial for qualifying students! The 'Imperial University of Coruscant' supports education and career transition and is looking for young, ambitious humans between 15-17. Interested? Complete our online test: Anonymous and without obligation! We will contact you if you managed to place in the top ten! 'Imperial University of Coruscant'- We are education!

…

Victoria stared at the display. She was 14 nearly 15 and the term 'humans' surely wasn't supposed to be understood literally. Moreover, the whole thing was anonymous. She could just take the test. Just for fun. And it was a good learning experience for later recruitment tests. Moreover, there was no way she would end up in the top ten in first play. But then she would just have to keep telling herself that most applicants must had been 17. Victoria took a deep breath and then clicked on the link that led to the online test.

...

…

TWO WEEKS LATER

...

Congratulations, Participant 144273!

You scored in the top ten and have won a spot in the four-week trial at the 'Imperial University of Coruscant'!

Food and lodging will be provided, while you have the chance to participate in an individual evaluation of your skills, followed by a personal consultation regarding your future! Furthermore there will be a four-week participation in three workshops of your choice! The details of your stay are in the attached file.

To ensure that is was you who completed the test, a similar test will be administered on the first day of your stay.

If you are no longer interested in our offer, you should let us know as soon as possible, so that your place can be assigned to someone else.

Otherwise, please fill out the attached form, have it signed by one legal guardian and return it by the end of the month.

We look forward to meeting you!

...

Leia folded the form and placed it gently on her lap. "It must be obvious to you, Victoria, that I will never sign this."

"Please Mom! It means so much to me!"

"Honey, first of all - you're not 15 yet and second – you're a human hybrid. As hard as it is to hear this, you don't even meet the basic entry requirements. Third, I would never leave you alone for four weeks on Coruscant. Coruscant is the largest city in the galaxy, the entire planet is a city and there are millions of vagrant beings that are up to no good. You're not used to such things and far, far too young. Fourth: Do you honestly believe that these people offer you all this just out of the goodness of their heart? The 'Imperial University of Coruscant' is good, yes. But it is also the training ground of the Emperor. The technologies that are developed there will be abused for the military, politicians, diplomats, lawyers, bankers and economists. Everyone instructed there is trained for and remains with the Empire. There is absolutely no way I would let you go there."

"But Mom! I don't care about politics! What if I choose an insignificant course? Like music, languages or history? It's only a trial."

"Victoria, there is nothing insignificant. Why do you think they performed an advanced assessment of your skills? They want to lead you down the career path that they think is best to serve them."

In any case, at least she would earn her own living, thought Victoria stubbornly, but didn't dared saying it to her mother's face.

"And what, in your opinion, should I do? Sit on this ship forever and fly through the most remote regions of the Galaxy? Far away from anything that is halfway interesting and pray for my life every time the Empire shows up? Give me a break! Why can't I have a normal life, like other people?"

Up until now, Leia had rarely quarreled with her eldest daughter. Victoria had always been very reserved and that was what made her accusations hit hard now. Leia extended her hand in reconciliation, but Victoria avoided her.

"Honey, I know that our life is not what you see on a HoloFilm, but there are things that are worth some sacrifices. Freedom, democracy and equality are such things. And you're still too young to worry about your future. Growing up is not a race."

"Mom, the course is not set to start until next year and in eight weeks I will be 15. And I'm 50% human and 100% humanoid. I am sure that they would take me. And you don't need to be afraid for me on Coruscant. I promise that I will pay attention to my surroundings and I will not be indoctrinated by anyone. I can think for myself!"

Leia stared at her daughter speechless. "Sweetheart, did you not hear me at all?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did."

"Really? What did I say?"

"What you always say: We must fight for freedom, democracy, solidarity, blah, blah, blah. And now let me tell you something: The people in the galaxy out there have not known these things for over three decades, and most of them don't care as long as they're fine and they can live in peace. Of course there are always people who feel like they're being treated unfairly, but without rules, without some kind of punishment, no government could rule. It would result in anarchy and chaos for the simple reason that most sensible beings think of themselves first. That is a fact, no matter what government is in charge – the Empire, the Allianz. It just wouldn't work. Besides, we have equality, democracy and all that other stuff in the Alliance, but frankly I think life is rather modest here if you compare it to the Core." She then turned and ran straight to her room.

...

A week later and only five days before Christmas, Victoria was finally back on solid ground and she had made a decision. She had to get out of there and quickly, otherwise it would probably be another four years living on the Falcon, along with a mother that didn't understand her, a stepfather whom she didn't understand and two screaming children. No, thank you.

Every time they set up a new base camp there was a total mess and Victoria had lived through it often enough to realize that this was the perfect time to disappear. She had already packed her backpack the night before with all the necessary things, including all of her money. She didn't have much, but certainly more than her mother thought, because she had saved for quite some time already. Her backpack was not very heavy, yet it seemed to weigh tons, when her eyes viewed her room for the last time. Could she really do this? Don't freak out now, Victoria! You can do this!

…

In the hangar bay Victoria spotted a cargo ship she recognized, its Captain supplied the Rebellion with food from the Core and - at least according to the ship's logs - then flew directly back to Coruscant. This would be perfect! After the food had been unpacked, she would simply sneak into one of the empty boxes and with it leave the Rebel Alliance for good. If they didn't land on Coruscant, she would just book a flight from wherever they were. Flights to Coruscant were fairly accessible from every space port. It should be simple, no problem. Victoria walked briskly towards the storeroom and looked at the boxes until she found one that was large enough. Then she climbed into it.

...

Victoria woke up from her dream, when the box was suddenly lifted. It was being loaded! Hopefully, into the cargo ship and not into a trash compactor. Why hadn't she thought of that possibility sooner? What if the box was not needed anymore? Or was simply disposed via the air lock later? But she had chosen a good, new box! It was unlikely that they would dispose of it. At least she very much hoped so. Don't think about it!

After the box was still again, she waited for a while, then slowly opened it and looked around. She was definitely in a spaceship, surrounded by other boxes with the same inscription. Well, as far as she could tell, her plan seemed to be working! Great!

...

[A/N: And now something I always wanted to write. At the same time, also something completely irrelevant and probably slightly OOC - but anyway – this is my story:) So sit back, enjoy and imagine]. ^^

...

Grand Admiral Thrawn entered his quarters; his movement activated the automatic lighting, revealing a sparsely decorated military cabin. The foremost area was a combination of work and meeting space. The real private rooms were located further back and consisted of a spacious bedroom and a bathroom, with a fully functional water shower and a separate bathtub. Pure luxury, compared to the standard sonic showers. Thrawn was not one who usually longed for luxury - and the times that he had taken a real bath, he could probably count on one hand - but today he would enjoy a bath. He had earned it after the day he had had.

It all started with the fact that the port side laser cannons had misfired just before a planned hyperpace jump, resulting in a fire on the D and E decks. They had to be vented then to stop the fire, so that 189 crew members had been sucked into space and died. The decks C and F looked like a battlefield right now and it would probably take days before the Chimera was fully operational again. And the worst thing was that it looked like sabotage. Presumably they had a rebel on board, whose arrest had now become the highest priority.

Thrawn threw his uniform jacket on the bed, went into the bathroom and turned the water on. With the sound of splashing water in the background, he went back into his bedroom to undress completely. But not before he poured himself a glass of Corellian whiskey that he had in his supplies. And so Thrawn, with a strong drink in his hand, lowered himself into the bubbling, hot water for the first time in ages and closed his eyes as the soothing heat penetrated his body. When one rarely had the time to enjoy such luxuries... one learned to appreciate them.

He sipped at his glass briefly, then he turned the water off and slowly let his head fall back on the tub's edge...

Suddenly his communication station beeped. This could not be happening ... His shift had just ended. Only serious complications or combat would justify calling him now. Hopefully they had not discovered another laser cannon that had been tempered with...

With a sigh Thrawn got out of the tub and grabbed a white towel with which he hastily dried himself and then casually tied it around his waist.

"Thrawn here," he said and was more than happy that he had only activated the audio channel, when the voice of a young woman answered his call.

"Petty Officer Gator here, Sir. Sorry for the late disturbance, but your agent, a Mr. Willan from Coruscant, was very persistent. He says it is important and concerns your daughter, Sir. Shall I patch him through?"

Victoria?

"Yes, of course. Just give me minute to put something on."

Carrie Gator stared in disbelief at the communication console in front of her and felt her blood flood into her cheeks. Had he really just said what she thought he had? Or was she suffering from daydreams now? Probably the later. She shook her head quickly in a hopeless attempt to banish the mental image of the Admiral's exposed body from her mind. "Uh understand, Sir. Gator, out."

...

When Thrawn saw Leia before him on the view screen, he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Agent Willan put me through," Leia said bluntly.

"I thought we had an agreement not to initiate any direct communication links. This could have very unpleasant consequences - for both of us."

Leia nodded, and he saw the clear strain in her body language. Her eyes were red and dark shadows had formed underneath them. She had been crying.

"I'm sorry that I betrayed our agreement, but I assure you that this is not a direct connection ... I was cautious."

Thrawn nodded. He had expected nothing less from her. "Willan said that this concerned Victoria?" With the issue of the connection settled, he wanted to get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible. What could possibly have happened that made her contact him? Leia was clearly upset and if she was calling to ask him for help, it surely had to be due to dire circumstances.

She bit her lower lip and released a heavy sigh. "Victoria has disappeared."

Thrawn showed no outward reaction, except perhaps that he appeared to be even calmer. "Since when?" He asked softly.

Leia shook her head. "I don't know for sure." She dragged her fingers quickly through her hair. "She has been missing for almost 48 hours, but it could be even longer. The last time I saw her was at breakfast and in the evening I noticed that she was not in her room. I have looked all over ... asked all our friends ... but she is nowhere to be found."

"I understand. I suppose you thought she would have returned by now?"

Leia nodded in agreement. "Yes, I ... we had a fight ... and I thought perhaps she wanted to get back at me, or simply get away from me for awhile. Teenagers ... you know? But it has slowly become clear that she isn't ..." Leia felt her view becoming unclear, when new tears formed in her eyes. "I don't know what else to do ... Help me."

If he ever were to see Leia Organa Solo vulnerable, it was at that moment.

"Please ..."

"Save your pleas, Leia. They do not suit you, and are completely unnecessary. Of course I will participate in the search for Victoria; she is my daughter after all."

"Thank you."

"You should not thank me too early, either. I cannot use the Emperor's resources to locate my runaway daughter. This is a personal matter, so that my position within the Empire and the privileges that this position in its last consequences brings with it, will be of no use. Nevertheless, I will do everything in my power to find her." He put his fingers together and watched Leia, his stare penetrating. "For that, however, I do need information that you might not give me voluntarily. Starting with where you are, what you are doing, how she was able to run away in first place and who may have aided her."

"So you think that she's run away?" Leia asked hopefully.

"I am assuming. Had she been kidnapped, a ransom request would have been received by now. Also an act of revenge is unlikely as it only makes sense if one of us were made to witness the damages. Since you said that you two had a fight, it would appear that running away is the most likely theory. There is, of course, a third option which I frankly do not wish to consider."

Leia swallowed hard. She knew this third possibility, and as much as she had tried not to think about it, she knew that there were mentally instable beings out there. Insane individuals who had lost their mind or were just were sick and whose only desire was to kill, rape and torture. They had no plan. They did not obey to the rules of logic. If such a madman had taken Victoria, she was probably long since dead.

Thrawn seemed to have read her thoughts and she lowered her gaze as he watched her.

"Self-blame and mental horror scenarios are extremely unproductive, Leia."

"Yes, you're right. The information you request I cannot give you, but ..."

"I hope you are aware of the consequences, because I will not ..."

"Please, let me finish. I can't give you the information you ask for, but if she really ran away, I think I know where to. She wanted to go to Coruscant."

"Imperial City." Thrawn corrected, in a typical teacher's fashion. "This explains why you need my help. What did she want there?"

Leia told him about the university. "... and besides, she always had a certain fascination for the planet. She was born there and I assume that the HoloTV series provide a somewhat distorted picture of life there. If she is somewhere, then it is there. I will send you everything regarding the University and her stay here."

"Good. Furthermore, I would like to see a list of things that are missing from her room: clothes, books, etc. I would also like to have her account statements of last year, and her credit card numbers and her computer's hard disc if that is possible."

"She has no account, cash only. We have already had a slicer look at her computer. He found nothing. And as far as her room goes ..." Leia shook her head. "She was always very particular about her things ... but I have noticed nothing missing so far."

"I do not suppose that you could send me a picture of her room and things?"

Leia looked at him for a moment, hesitating. She understood, she had heard that Thrawn had the most incredible ability to draw conclusions about a person and their thoughts and actions by studying what they collected. What could be more personal than your own room, full of personal items? Maybe not all was lost yet.

...

Three days before Christmas and Grand Admiral Thrawn found himself on Imperial City once again. He had very few good memories of the planet. The normal inhabitants seemed to be rather indifferent. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was not quite welcomed here. It was not that surprising though, he was, after all, the living proof that the Empire's doctrine of human superiority was incorrect. He was not supposed to be on the same level as a human – never mind above him. The Emperor's favor was the only thing that had allowed him to rise to his position and that kept him alive here. Even for human standards, he had made an enormously successful career. But it had always been made much more difficult for him, and resentment and envy had accompanied him like a shadow every day.

Imperial City was a viper's nest of greed and decadence. That fact alone, made service in the Unknown Regions a lot more attractive. The only positive memories he had of this city were connected to Victoria. He remembered well the first time she had been in his arms, the way he had held her, not too far from here. She had been six weeks old already, yet he could hardly believe how small and fragile she had been and that he had created this life. She had looked so helpless and innocent. At first he had almost refused to hold her, worrying that he might hurt her unintentionally. And then, afterwards, he had almost been unable to let her go again.

His rational mind knew that this was, of course very natural - it was basically just biology. Self-preservation, if you would. Nevertheless, it was incredible how strong that feeling had been. He had seen this small bundle with the big, brown eyes and it had immediately burrowed into his heart, absolutely and unconditionally, and that was certainly not in his nature.

Now, almost 15 years later, his girl was neither small nor helpless anymore and probably lacked innocence too, but still here he was. He had spent two days in hyperspace, and had had a private audience with the Emperor, all because of her. Sometimes he could hardly believe it.

After Leia's call, he had gone to sickbay and had asked a favor of Dr. McKay. The doctor had not been thrilled, but in the end came up with the Armibuis Virus. It was by far the most realistic, medical reason he could think of, that granteed their return to the Core. Thus, the entire crew had to be vaccinated against the possible exposure to the before mentioned virus now. The reason behing it was that the drug was only available in such large quantities in the core worlds, mostly likely on Imperial City.

His story was quite convincing, since they had only recently been on planet, where the virus had eradicated whole cities soon afterwards. In addition, he was due to report to Coruscant in two months anyway, in order to present his annual report to the Emperor. This trip had been setup now so that everything could be completed at once: the meeting with the Emperor, a thorough review of the crew for possible saboteurs by the secret service, the repair of the Chimera in ordinary KDY shipyards and the vaccination of the crew. That sounded almost convincing, even to him. And as a bonus, the crew – for the first time in years – got to spend Christmas with their families. Thrawn could not comprehend the reason for the joyous faces and the overall positive sentiment on board the Chimera until he questioned Captain Pellaeon about it. Christmas meant nothing to Thrawn. It was a human tradition. But if he would find Victoria, that would certainly be a welcome Christmas gift.

…

In his apartment in Imperial City, Thrawn felt far from at home. In certain respects, even a hotel room was warmer than these accommodations. It was a relatively small apartment near the Imperial Palace. One bedroom, a living area, kitchen and a bathroom - no more. But still expensive due to its exclusive location. Previously, when he had spent more time here, it had seemed like a good idea, and then he had kept it just for cases like this and had that probably been a good idea, because people had assured him that finding a hotel room just before Christmas on Coruscant would have been as likely as the Emperor performing a tap dance on HoloTV. Nevertheless, he felt like a stranger here, and once more he realized that his home was no fixed place on any planet in the universe. If anything, it was his parents' house that he connected with the word 'home'.

He looked around briefly and then activated the heater on the temperature display next to the front door. He then looked about the apartment, everything was very modern, very presentable, but most of the shelves were empty and in the kitchen, the cupboards were empty, too. It was as if someone had moved into a furniture store where everything was just decoration. Thrawn took a deep breath and shook his head. It didn't really matter, he had a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in, and certainly more important things to worry about.

...

22\. December

Somehow she had not thought the whole thing through very well, Victoria admitted, as she sat on a stairway in one of the huge shopping malls of Coruscant, a 'Value Menu' from 'Galactic Burgers' on her lap. Coruscant was incredible. At first it had exceeded all her expectations: It was big and beautiful, with Christmas decorations everywhere and then there was the snow and the lights. It seemed like a wonderful fairy-tale world, but already, she realized that the cost of living here exceeded her expectations, too. She could not even think about getting a hotel room and she had already spent one night on the road.

To fall asleep, paralyzed by fear on the too cold stairs next to an electric shop, had proven impossible. She had not been able to close her eyes, which left her in a rather poor state to go job-hunting the next day. An old lady in a bakery had shown her some compassion and had offered her a job in return for a roof over her head. And so Victoria Organa had gotten her first job and now sold baked goods between 6 and 17 hundred hours somewhere near the banking district. It could have ended worse, much worse. The old lady, Mrs. Bennett, was very nice to her and it was a business relationship based on mutual needs. She needed a hotel and Ms. Bennett needed convenient temporary help because her children had not wanted to be bothered with the small store.

Victoria threw the rest of the paper in a trashcan and made her way back to the shop.

...

"Hello, Ms. Bennett."

"Hello, my child. You're back early."

Victoria nodded. "I can't afford most things anyway and at some point you have probably seen enough. Can I help you with anything?" Her work for today was already done, but she asked anyway, as somehow the work was actually fun. Never before she had thought about working in a bakery.

"If you want, you can go lend Mr. Bennett a hand in the bakery, but I think you should lie down. It's getting late."

"No, I'm fine!" Victoria went through the door behind the counter to the bakery behind it.

"Already back?" Laughed Mr. Bennett. "Well then, would you like to help with the cookie cut outs?"

Victoria smiled cheerfully. "Sure. What should I do?"

"Here." Mr. Bennett showed her how to distribute the flour on the dough, how to cut out the cookies and how to arrange them on a baking sheet to ensure that they made as many cookies as possible.

One and a half hours later, he finally found the courage to asked what had long since been on his mind. "Victoria, if you don't mind me asking, well, you're a well-mannered girl, nothing like the other street children that sometimes come here to ask for work or to beg for leftovers. We noticed that right away. You are decent and intelligent and you know how to behave. You are a runaway, are you not?"

Victoria cut more cookies and nodded.

"Child, your parents must be beside themselves with worry." Mr. Bennett shook his head sadly.

"You don't understand. My mother doesn't allow me to make my own decisions. She has to be in charge of everything. She knows everything and doesn't care about what I want. She is only interested in her work. My father, too. I have actually only met him face-to-face for three days in the last ten years. That must be a record! My stepfather is ... let's say 'tough' and sometimes I think he hates me. I only end up working on all of their nerves. I was just an 'accident' anyway".

Mr. Bennett raised the last baking sheet and pushed it into the oven. "Do you know that many children have no parents at all? That they have no one to get mad at? Children do argue with their parents. It's normal, but running away is no solution. You're a little bitter, but this is not a permanent solution and no matter what has happened between you, those people are your family."

Victoria wiped her hands on her apron. "No, it's not a permanent solution. Even though I'm really happy here. But, at least for the next few weeks, I'm going to stay here."

...

23\. December

To search for a girl on Coruscant, was similar to the famous needle in the haystack. She was protected by the crowds and still had not opened an account yet. Thrawn had hoped that she would have to show her ID sooner or later, but her name had not shown up anywhere and she certainly couldn't have afforded a false ID. He only hoped that nothing had happened. Maybe Leia had been mistaken and she was not here. Thrawn grabbed a cup of tea and watched some of video footage again. It didn't make much sense, but he could not remain idle when his only child was missing. Presumably, she would appear at the University in seven weeks, that was if nothing happened in the meantime. He could not erase the thought from his mind and it the fact that he still hadn't found her, even though a good sum had changed owners already, it did nothing to improve his mood. But if she was really here, he would find her. In the end, there was no planet that was better monitored than Coruscant!

Suddenly, another com-link beeped in the kitchen and a photo was printed out. He lifted it and looked at it briefly. It was Victoria, no doubt. She was wearing a black overall and sat on a staircase, while holding a burger and looking into a shop window. The video was from a surveillance camera in the Bluewater mall in the western banking district and had been recorded yesterday afternoon. Thrawn sat down at the coffee table and studied the picture closely, before typing some commands into his computer. She was alive and now that he knew where to look for her, it would only be a matter of time before he would find her.

...

Mrs. Bennett almost dropped the raisin bread in her hands when six Storm Troopers entered her shop in two-file formation. In their midst, was a person dressed in civilian clothing, which they seemed to protect. Three Storm Troopers flanked the entrance door of her pastry shop when the civilian male approached her. Although he was dressed casually, Mrs. Bennett would have - even without the Storm Troopers –recognized that she was staring at an Imperial officer just by the way he held himself. Presumably, Army or Navy. He was dressed in a dark gray coat in combination with a black scarf. But really noticeable thing about him were his eyes. They were red like fire and his skin was a light shade of blue. She had heard of him. Light blue skin and red eyes. She knew, but could not really remember.

"Mrs. Bennett, I presume?"

She nodded, nervously.

"Am I also right in assuming that my daughter is with you?"

Mrs. Bennett stared briefly at him with her mouth open. Now that he'd said it, she could detect a certain similarity; Victoria did have the same pale-blue skin as he did. But then again, one saw many different species on Coruscant.

"Sir, we did not know from where or whom she ran away, but she needed help and we ..."

He raised a hand to silence her. "This was not an accusation. I am well aware of your efforts and I will make arrangements for you to be compensated for the kindness that you have shown my daughter."

Mrs. Bennett shook her head vehemently. "That is not necessary, Sir. She has worked for it."

Only then did he notice that she continued to address him as 'Sir'. He had forgotten to introduce himself. "I insist." He gave her a gracious smile and extended his hand. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, Imperial Navy."

Mrs. Bennett returned the gesture and looked at him. Thrawn, yes she had heard of him. At the time of the Waroom invasion, he had been quite popular. What had happened after that, she did not know. "I do not think I have ever had an Imperial Grand Admiral in my store." She joked and then motioned for him to follow her to the bakery behind her.

...

Victoria closed the oven door then froze right where she stood - in the middle of the bakery - when she saw her father.

He was mad with her for running away, surely, but when she looked at him with her far too large gloves, flour on her face and her wide-open, brown eyes, Thrawn found it impossible to be really angry with her.

"Have you anything to say for yourself, young lady?"

"I'm not going back." She said stubbornly.

"I am not going to discuss this with you in front of strangers, Victoria. Pack your things."

"And what would you do if I refused?"

"I do not think you want to find out." He looked at her and waited patiently for her to make the first move.

"I hate you! I don't matter to you anyway. Why don't you just leave me alone?" She threw her gloves on the table and stormed out of the bakery.

"She has her mother's temperament," Thrawn declared tightly.

The Bennetts had watched the scene in silence and now waited until she returned with her little backpack.

"Thanks for everything." Victoria smiled at the couple, and then Thrawn lead her gently but firmly to the exit.

...

Victoria had not said one, single word to him on the way to his apartment. He knew her well enough now to know that this was not normal for her and that it must have been torture, to act against her nature in this way. However, a discussion with an irrational teenager on the street, surrounded by Storm Troopers, would not have been beneficial to his image, so that he was almost grateful for her stubbornness.

...

Finally, they arrived at his apartment. Thrawn opened a cabinet and threw her a towel. "Here. The bathroom is straight ahead. You are still full of flour."

Victoria nodded her head and for a moment she thought she had seen something like a smile on her father's face. Maybe he was not as angry as she had feared.

"You can put your clothes in the shaft next to the sink, and they will be brought to the cleaners. Do you have a change of clothes?"

Victoria opened the backpack and presented an equally dirty T-shirt and an old jeans. This time she was sure she recognized a smile on his face.

"Wait here." He disappeared and returned with a large sweatshirt, some training pants, a white shirt and boxer shorts with an adjustable waist band. "Here you could probably use these as a dress or a tent, but as long as your clothes are in the cleaners, they'll have to suffice."

"I could just buy me some new things. I'll just go to the mall and-"

"Forget it, very quickly. You stay where you are. If you get cold, I have a few blankets in the closet and the heating can be adjusted ..." he pointed to the door " ... over there. And now shower and have your clothes cleaned."

...

Victoria stood in the shower and felt the water slowly clean the flour from her face and her hair. A water shower! How cool was that? She opened every single shampoo and shower gel pack and smelled them before deciding which she wanted to use and then gleefully foamed herself. One could even regulate the water supply! And there was a massage function, too! Wow!

...

"I thought you had tried to drown yourself in the shower. What did do in there?"

"Nothing." A hazy cloud of fog followed her from the bath.

"Nothing?" He asked skeptically. But then again, what trouble could she have found in the bathroom?

"I informed your mother that you are here now. She is very relieved and probably a little more than annoyed. You have caused her great distress, Victoria."

Victoria literally drowned in her father's clothes and had to carefully roll up the pant legs so she would not trip, as she sat on the sofa. "I'm sorry. But I had to get out of there. I felt like I was trapped and … hopeless."

Thrawn shook his head. "That you will have to discuss with your mother. I am not a supporter of the Alliance. Still this is a matter of principle: You should not have run away from your mother like that. What you have done was very dangerous. But let us talk about it later. First of all ..." He handed her a couple of pillows and a bed cover, " ... let us see to it that you get some sleep. Please stand up." He reached behind the sofa and pulled. A sofa bed.

"Oh great! I suppose this is my bed?" Victoria threw the bedding on it then threw herself on it. "I love it!"

"Good. It is already late. Are you thirsty or hungry?"

"A little. I can bake us cookies. I know how to do that now!"

"I was thinking of something a little more filling. But I may take you up on your offer another time. What do you want?"

"No matter what?"

"As long as it does not consist of candy and junk food." He said with regard to her little shopping escapade at the beginning of the year.

"Pizza?" She asked hopefully. "And maybe a salad?"

"Pizza it is then. Any preferences?"

...

Everything on Coruscant seemed to be fully automated. The order was completed via a numeric code on the HoloNet and the foor was delivered by a droid later on.

Victoria set the table.

"The cupboards are almost all empty," she said, while searching for the dishes.

Her father pointed to the correct drawer. "I'm almost never here."

"But ... you do not find it a bit cold. I mean, with no personal items around?"

"I do not see the necessity. Also such things give away a lot about a person and their weaknesses. Photos and images in particular, but also the type of furniture and the way they are arranged. I usually have people who do it for me. Of course I consulted with them in advance and discussed some changes here and there, but these people do it professionally and therefore are pretty good. But it is not really my home, if you see what I mean."

Victoria looked at her father in disbelief. Never in her life had she heard a thing like his. "I still find it cold, uncomfortable - I mean the apartment and the furniture is great! But ... I can't describe it."

"I know what you mean. It looks dead. As in a furniture store where everything is just fake and no one lives in it. But this flat is just so 99% of the time." Thrawn threw the last of the packaging into the recycler and then sat down next to his daughter at the kitchen table. "So, tell me of your little adventure. How did you escape from the Alliance and then land in with the Bennetts?"

And so, Victoria ate her pizza and told her father, in every detail, about by the events of the past few days.

...

"... And then you were suddenly in front of me."

Thrawn released a heavy breath with an audible sigh. "You were very lucky, you know that? You could have died ... climbing into some strange transporter and sleeping on the street. You are a young girl. There are things that are worse than death, and especially on Coruscant where there is no shortage of psychopaths and criminals."

"I already told you that I was sorry. I know that some things weren't very well thought through, but ..."

"Not well thought through? That's an optimistic assessment. The entire idea was ill-conceived..." He shook his head in disbelief. Children. "I know that you have apologized, and I also believe that mean what you said, but I would like you to understand the full scope of your actions. Your mother would have been devastated if something had happened to you. What she does, she does for a good reason. Your mother and I tend to see things differently, but when it comes to your upbringing and your safety, we are usually very much aligned. You frightened us both, Victoria. Please do not do anything like this again. If you have problems with your mother, sleep on it and try to see it from all angles. And if you have no other choice, you can always talk to me. But do not run away, understood?"

She nodded and stared at her plate. The 'Sermon on the Mount' from her mother, she was used to. But this was new and not particularly nice. "Okay. Got it."

"Well ... and regarding this matter with the university ... you really are still quite young, but I will talk to your mother about it. If it means that much to you and she agrees, you can go on my account. However, you would have to have someone responsible, who would look after you."

Within a second she was in his arms, hugging him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Wait. Not so fast." He pushed her back to her seat. "Victoria, did you listen to me at all? I said I would talk to your mother and if she says yes, then you can go."

"You found me, right? She can't say no now." Victoria beamed.

...

Sleep had not come easily that night. Thrawn could still hardly believe what Victoria had done. Her story was even worse than he had expected – the whole affair might just as well have ended in tragedy. The idea that she might have been raped, or that he might have been called to identify her body in the morgue, and other gruesome nightmare scenarios hung in the air like a dark shadow. He had not thought her capable of such reckless behavior. Had he ever been that impulsive? No, he would have never done anything of that magnitude, not even as a teenager.

But then again Victoria was not his child alone, even if he sometimes forgot about that, or, perhaps, conveniently ignored that fact. She was just as much Leia Organa's and he knew that underneath the good manners that Bail Organa had drummed into his daughter, hid a searing, hot temper. One only had to push her into a corner to witness it firsthand. He could well imagine that Leia's upbringing had not gone by entirely smoothly.

There was another reason why he could not sleep, he wondered what he should do now. He had written Leia that Victoria was well and with him now and that she did not have to worry anymore. But what now? Her running away only expressed her general discontentment with her current situation, at least if he were to believe her story. If he was honest with himself, this was not an entirely unpleasant idea.

He understood the Alliance and even sympathized with some of their claims. After what Grand Moff Tarkin had done to Alderaan, he could certainly understand Leia. Tarkin ... what had the Emperor been thinking? His reasons behind placing the Death Star in the hands of that sadist were still unclear to him. Whatever his reasons were - it was definitely the wrong thing to do and it had brought a black day upon the Empire's reign, in every respect.

Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly clear to him that the Empire generally did the right thing. Men like Tarkin were the exception. The rebellion on the other hand was for the most part nothing more than space terrorism. They complained against everything they did, or simply blew things up. As a consequence the Empire had to increase its military presence to keep order, which in turn only fed their stereotype of military dictatorship.

Oppositions always had it easier than the seated governments. Many of them would not even know what to do if they were to become the government. Furthermore, they lacked the appropriate logistical and technical personnel. And there were beings that could not follow anyone's command, nor could they be reasoned with. It was simply against their nature.

The Empire was not the worst government. It provided the means for stability and security, and that did, at times, come with a price. The larger the area that a government controlled, the more problems it faced. That was a fact. There was no utopia and there never would be.

However, Victoria's recent dislike of the Alliance was of a different, more personal nature. She was not happy there. All her arguments regarding the lack of education, social isolation and the constant danger they were facing, were understandable. He had had his own nightmares, fearing that one day her name might appear on one of the casualty lists that crossed his desk regularly.

Therefore, the idea to simply keep Victoria was not unattractive to him. Not on Coruscant, but possibly on Trellas III, in the Unknown Regions. He could buy a house there; his fleet was frequently stationed there to obtain munitions and other provisions. But then again... he was hardly impartial in this matter. Victoria was a teenager and she had run away. That was nothing unusual. What she hated now, she could just as easily miss tomorrow. Leia was a good mother, she had raised Victoria much better than he could have ever done and now that she was grown, he could not dismiss everything that Leia had done and simply `steal´ her daughter, no matter what Victoria said or wanted. Was she old enough to even make such a big decision? Judging by her latest adventure the answered was no´. Also, he could not allow Victoria getting used to get at one parent what the other denied, no matter how tempting the thought might be.

...

THE FOLLOWING DAY

It was the 24th December and Christmas Eve was in the truest sense of the word in right at the front door. Still, the Christmas mood had not come up yet. When she had been little, she had feverishly waited for this day, but in the last few years she had grown tired of the festivities. Or at least that was what she had been telling herself, over and over again. She hated everything about Christmas: From the decorations and cookies, over the endless hours of wish list writing with her siblings, to singing in front of the large, plastic Christmas tree. This year she had actually managed to escape all of that and now she missed it.

The 24th of December was usually no day for reflection. There was always too much noise and annoyance, but this year it was actually quiet. It was strange how quickly one could get accustomed to things.

Victoria laid her book aside. It made no sense. She stood up, slipped into her now clean clothes and went into the next room. "Dad," she stood in the door of the office, and looked inquiringly at her father.

"Yes?"

"I just thought, today is Christmas Eve ...and… do you have anything planned?"

Christmas. He had completely forgotten. "Is your heart set on the enforcement of this ritual?"

Somehow this was not what she had wanted to hear. Perhaps this was not such a good idea. "So when you say 'ritual', you make it sound as if all the people out there are religious freaks or as if the whole thing was totally outdated."

"Are you referring to the story of the children being killed by King Herod, the Christmas star and the birth of the savior of all humanity in a stable? Well, it is all somewhat hard to believe, if I may say so. But every culture has its traditions, myths, and stories."

Victoria looked at her shoes. "Perhaps, but it's also about family, reflection and spreading peace and joy. To show that you love one another and to spend time together." Family, contemplation and peace. Oh dear, that fit perfectly to him. There probably was no holiday for social deprivation, stress, and war. Since he had been absent for most of her life, he could hardly refuse her Christmas. And come to think of it, on Csilla he had endured similar rituals, if only to please his mother.

"I understand. Well, we do have similar family days on Csilla, with some old myths attached to it. What exactly would you like to do at Christmas?"

"Um ... honestly I would like to start with buying gifts for everyone. For Jaina, I already found a screwdriver-set for children, and for my Mom there was a cookbook I saw that I think she would like, but, I'm not sure how good it is to give a cookbook as a gift. And for the others, I have to look for something."

Thrawn looked back on the computer screen. The repair reports of the Chimera could wait. "All right, let us go shopping then. But only under the condition that you stay within my sight the entire time. I do not feel like losing you in Imperial City again. If I lose you, consider this year's Christmas being cancelled."

"Deal!"

...

Thrawn had never seen anything so crazy in his entire life. The malls were so crowded that even if you fell, you would never touch the ground. People shopped like there was no tomorrow! It was incredibly crowded, and there were Christmas decorations and Christmas music playing everywhere. A woman called after her husband that he should wait for her and the queues before the repulsor-lifts were incredibly long.

"Is it always like this?" He asked in the direction of Victoria.

"Yes. I mean it is my first time on Coruscant, but really it is the same everywhere, on December 24th. Everyone wants to buy food for their relatives or a gift for their beloved." She pointed over to a crowded jewelry shop. "Today, they'll make most of their business for the year. Jewelry for the mistress and a cook book for the wife." Victoria laughed and indicated to the book shop on the opposite side of the street.

"You are pretty cynical for someone your age."

"Years of observation. It's terrible what some men buy their wives: household appliances and tickets for Podracing. The worst I've seen was when a man bought a bowling ball for his wife. I bet her pleasure was evident when she dropped it on his foot. Han gave Mom an abdominal trainer once!" She laughed loudly as she recalled the scene.

"Charming."

"Certainly. I have no idea what he'll do to her this year, as I had no chance to give him some advice."

"I slowly get the feeling that Christmas has less to do with religion or family, but in fact, is an extremely successful advertising campaign for businesses. I should inform the Emperor of what goes on here during Christmas - maybe we could tax it."

"Don't you dare! It is far too expensive here already! But I must confess that it is really cool here. I have never been to a mall for Christmas shopping in my entire life." She looked around again with wide eyes. "So many shops ..."

"A capitalistic dream come true."

"You sound like my mother. That's scary."

"Really?" Thrawn said, slightly skeptically.

"Yes, she would hate this place. She detests Coruscant anyway."

Apparently they had now reached the shops that Victoria had spotted her potential gifts in. Hopefully it would not last long.

...

So far, he didn't like Christmas at all. What, in the name of the Emperor, did humans like about wondering from shop to shop and standing in queues for hours? It was horrible and Victoria definitively lacked the ability to quickly make decisions. From whom she had inherited this attitude, he did not know. She could not just 'buy' something. She had to visit each shop and compare prices and then make her purchase. Generally, no one seemed to buy anything that they really needed, perhaps this was part of the problem. The perfume department was particularly bad. After being inside, you had been robbed of one of your senses entirely.

"Admiral?"

Thrawn turned around and saw Captain Pellaeon with a woman on his arm.

"Captain ... what a surprise."

"Sir, may I introduce my sister Daniella Kapson? Daniella, this is my supervisor and chief officer on board the Chimera, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I'm sure I've written you about him."

Thrawn shook the woman's hand. "Only good I hope. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kapson."

She smiled at him, warmly.

"Of course, only good. Is this your daughter?"

Thrawn turned and saw Victoria peering into the window of a candy shop.

"Of course. Victoria, will you come over here, please?" He guided her forwards and positioned her next to him.

"I had no idea that you had a child, Sir." Confessed Pellaeon.

"And I thought the whole galaxy knew about it."

"I knew it," said Mrs. Kapson, as she looked at her brother with a grin.

"Yes, because you read more gossip magazines than I do," he said, obviously annoyed. "Excuse me, Dani. It's just ... I hate Christmas shopping and what your son wants? I have no idea."

"Well, there is something you and my father agree on," quipped Victoria and looked at her father mischievously.

"Is there?"

"Sorry, but it's pretty obvious that you're not having fun" she laughed. "How about if Mrs. Kapson and I continue shopping and you two think about military matters or whatever and we will meet here again in an hour?"

The proposal was tempting, but Ruhke could not be at two places at the same time and the idea of leaving Victoria alone was not too pleasing. On the other hand, Mrs. Kapson would be with her and she had indeed survived worse.

"I'll keep an eye on her, Grand Admiral. Do not worry," the woman said to Thrawn as she recognized his hesitation.

"Agreed. We'll meet back here in an hour."

...

"Where did you get the money for all these things?" Thrawn asked and looked skeptically at the shopping bags as Victoria piled them into the apartment.

"The flight was 'free' and the hotels too expensive, and then I worked for my accommodation at the Bennett's, so I hardly spent anything."

She opened one of the bags and then presented their new Christmas decoration. It was a red and gold decorated pine wreath with a thick red candle in the middle.

"This will have to do since we don't have a Christmas tree." She placed the wreath on the coffee table, lit the candles and smiled broadly. In the next bag, there were a couple of Christmas cookies, which she arranged on a plate.

Now Christmas could come. Thrawn turned the fireplace on and Victoria was pleased to find the Tad Gorban classic, "Christmas on Corellia", playing on at least four channels on the HoloTV. After she had found the movie that had just recently started, she left the television on to play in the background.

"I confess that looks very nice." Her father said. He had been watching her in silence. "And what's next?"

"Traditionally: eating together, getting giddy on mulled wine, eating cookies and other treats, singing around the Christmas tree, exchanging gifts and then playing family board games until late in the night. But don't be afraid, this will be a toned down version!"

When he saw all the shopping bags, he doubted it. "I hope so, because so far you have not convinced me of this human tradition."

"This you will like," promised Victoria, as she picked up another bag and then held up a package of rice. "You can cook, right?"

"It seems a little inefficient to cook at Christmas. It takes time, after all. I had expected that we would order something." He said, but then followed her into the kitchen and took out some pots.

"Ordering out is not the same as doing things together. It's a shared experience. Something special."

"Maybe ... The last time I cooked was before I served the Empire. I know and appreciate a lot of human food, but the manner of their preparation is entirely unknown to me."

Victoria came back with two more bags and put some meat, a cream sauce, various vegetables, a head of lettuce, eggs, milk and pudding mix on the kitchen table.

"Well, that makes it even more fun. Now, that you mention it, these pots look as though they have never been used before ..." She lifted a cup and looked at him closely. "Well, I'm not particularly good at cooking myself, so this dish is very simple. It can't go wrong!"

...

It had not looked very promising, but the vegetable cream sauce on rice with salad and chocolate pudding was really good and more than enough for both of them.

"Not bad for someone who is just 14 years old."

"Mom would say that we've cheated. Someone who really cooks doesn't need ready-made sauces and pudding powder. All of that can be done with flour somehow. But I don't know how." She stood up and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then she reached behind a tray and relieved a small silver packet with a red bow.

"I couldn't help myself, Merry Christmas," she beamed and handed him the package.

Thrawn looked at it for a while, estimating its possible content by the shape and weight of the box.

"I am really interested to see what you think I might like. Anyway, I already guessed that, especially with a child ..."

"Teenager," Victoria promptly corrected.

"... a teenager around I would not be able to avoid the gift part of Christmas and therefore got something for you as well."

"Honestly?" She beamed, looking around questioningly.

"It is not here. Since my idea of shopping is somewhat more…. efficient that yours, I order it online, while conversing with Captain Pellaeon. It should have been delivered by now." He got up and walked towards the door.

"Ok. Do you want to open the gifts in the living room?"

"This is your tradition." She heard a voice from the hallway.

"Ok. Living room then. Thank you!" She took the glasses and drinks from the kitchen table and then sat down in the front of the still-activated HoloTV.

"You might have to return the favor for "Christmas" at some point. 'Tachmal' with your grandmother is quick nerve-wracking." Thrawn placed a large Christmas gift on the table next to the wreath and in front of Victoria.

"Merry Christmas." Wow. It was huge! She had absolutely no idea what could be inside. She had not ask for anything at all. "You first!"

"As you wish." Thrawn sat down beside her and began to slowly unwrap his small gift.

"What is 'Tachmal'?"

"Once a year, the gods of Csilla are honored on the glaciers of Caspar in a kind of procession. But during the last decades, those traditions lacked their religions roots more and more. Now it is just about good food, drinks and finding a suitable spouse for your children."

"Oh ..."

"Quite."

With the removal of the final piece of tape, the tiny package finally fell open, revealing its contents: It was a silver Holoframe. Thrawn activated it and saw a picture he hadn't known existed. It was very old, and showed himself and his daughter. Victoria was no more than one or two, and she wore a yellow romper suit and had a large, white pacifier in her mouth. Her dark hair had still been curly back then and her head and eyes appeared, as with all young children, to be relatively large, which made her look incredibly adorable.

They were sitting on a sofa. Victoria was sitting next to him, wide-eyed open and leaning on his knee while she held an outstretched finger to a book that he was apparently reading to her. Thrawn was holding the book with one hand as he wrapped the other around Victoria so that she would not fall off of the sofa. Stars, how long ago had that been? She had scarcely been a baby back then and now she was running off to Imperial City.

"I hope you like it." She interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, very. I have never seen the picture."

"I thought you might like, since we are both in it. Mom loves it, because I look 'unbelievably cute' in it." She rolled her eyes. "She took it secretly and placed it on a Holocube keychain for me later. It contains twelve pictures that change every thirty seconds. Family photos and stuff, it was a birthday present a few years ago. Do you want to see it?" She reached into her pocket and showed him a bunch of keys.

"Here." She handed the cube with the keys to her father. "I saw the frame at the shopping center. I thought it was very beautiful and asked the employee if he could transfer the photo for me. It was no problem."

For a second Thrawn thought of instructing her to never place personal photographs in the hands of a third party. But it had been an excellent surprise and it was unlikely that the employee had recognized him, and certainly not out of uniform.

"Thank you. I will treasure it."

Then it was her turn to open her gift. She moved the package to her knees and began to carefully unwrap it. A first peek underneath the paper revealed that it was a new laptop.

"Wow. Um ... This is pretty expensive."

"Was it so breathtaking that it stole your manners or why I do not hear a `thank you´?"

"Yes, of course, Thank you! But ... This ..." She pointed from the holoframe to the laptop. "….is not quite in proportion."

He erased her objections with a movement of his hand. "During our little shopping adventure, I had ample opportunity to witness the buying habits of parents and thus I think that my gift is fully proportionate. If you prefer it, however, you may also look at it as compensation for all of the Christmas seasons that I have missed."

She grinned. "Ok, I think I can live with that! My computer is so old ... This one is better than anything I would ever have asked for, but who am I to complain? How did you know that I needed a new computer?"

"How?" He asked, slightly amused. "After four hours of shopping with you, it did not take a genius to figure out what you like."

She laughed. "Was it that bad?"

He reached for a new candle and put it in the wreath. "There is certainly a reason why Christmas only comes once a year."

...

After about an hour, she closed her new toy with a satisfied smile. The laptop was great and she could really use it well! Jacen and Jaina would be so jealous! Maybe she should it from them before they might break it. Jaina would certainly not be able to keep her fingers off of it. But the thought of her siblings, suddenly made her sad. What were they doing right now? What had they gotten for Christmas...

"What's wrong?" Thrawn's voice tore her from her thoughts. "Your thoughts seem to be somewhere else entirely."

Her father was reading something on a data pad.

"It's nothing. I only thought about Christmas and stuff."

Thrawn put the pad aside. "And why do you sound so sad?"

Victoria shrugged her shoulders and looked around confused. "I have no idea. It looks as all of my wishes have been fulfilled. You see, when I was little, I always wanted you to be with us at Christmas. Then, when I got older, I began to hate it, not just Christmas - everything. I just wanted to get away. Now I have both ... and the laptop is great ... but ..."

"But you are not happy." Her father finished the sentence for her.

"Don't be angry with me, but I miss Mom and the twins ... and even Han. It's just...it's Christmas and ... somehow it's not really Christmas without them."

No, he was not angry with her. How could he be? Although she was his child, he was not her family. Victoria did insist that she was a teenager and that this was different to being a child, but form his point of view she was just that: a child, and she was far away from home, from her family. He sighed. If she could not even handle spending Christmas without her family, then he could hardly ask her to stay for good. She needed her mother and the protection and stability of a family. The Alliance was dangerous and wrong, but she was simply ... too young. It would not work.

"With a little finesse, I might get your mother on the Holo-com. They will be happy to see you. Then you can also arrange the time and place to pick you up again. The Chimera will depart in two days, so we have little time."

...

"Merry Christmas."

Leia stared in disbelief at the screen. It was Thrawn. "But I thought ..."

"You broke the agreement, I break the agreement. We're even. Moreover, someone here is dying to wish you a Merry Christmas."

Leia smiled. Of course. But it was a nice gesture nonetheless.

"Thank you. How are you?"

"Your Christmas is definitely an interesting experience. But for some more than others."

It looked like he was waving to someone outside of the video frame, and then was making preparations to vacate his place. "Thrawn?"

It was rare that she addressed him by his core name, so he stopped in his movement and looked at her inquiringly.

"Merry Christmas." Leia smiled and he knew she meant it.

He nodded and then, in a flash, Leia saw the face of her oldest daughter for the first time in a week.

"Merry Christmas, Mom!"

"Oh, Merry Christmas, sweetheart. How are you?"

...

"I hope the conversation was to your satisfaction?"

"Yes. Thanks, Dad." Victoria sighed audibly and fell onto the sofa bed.

"Good. Did you talk to your mother about your departure?" Her father asked bluntly.

"She suggested tomorrow evening. Back on Myrtol, where our last meeting was, which worked out fairly well, except perhaps this time without a snow storm! And we'll meet right at the spaceport, at the information desk."

"Myrtol is far away. We will have to leave early. You should go to sleep now."

She nodded." Yes, I know, I'm not looking forward to it."

Whether she meant the early departure or her leaving, he didn't know. "And what did Captain Solo `do to your mother this year?" Thrawn asked as he returned their glasses back to the kitchen.

"Apparently, he bought her a necklace and paid for a few self-defense Holo-trainers. I guess it could have been worse." Thrawn heard her voice from the living room.

"You should also use the Holo-trainers." He said bluntly from the door. He had he walked back into the living room with a spare alarm clock and because of that had caught her changing her clothes, wearing only a bra and pajama pants. "You need training." He pointed to her flat, but untrained stomach.

"Ever heard of privacy?" She asked a little irritated and quickly put on her top. "And why should I train?" She asked, more out of politeness than of real interest as she transformed the sofa into her bed.

"For security. You should be able to protect yourself." Thrawn said dryly as he sat down on a chair.

"Who should want to harm me?" She laughed, looking for a pillow. "And if someone should really be stupid enough to kidnap me, I bet he would gladly return me the other day."

"I do not find that funny, Victoria." He rested his head in his hands and looked at her, his eyes piercing hers for one long moment before he seemed to come to a decision. "Victoria, you must be very careful. There are beings out there that would do anything to hurt me in order to get back at me. You do not know them and you have done them no harm, but they would torment you without a thought, and maybe even kill you. Probably they would even enjoy it."

"Would they really go that far? Where is the sense in that? I mean, I find that hard to believe. If they really want to `get back at you´ in that way, they would be just as bad as they think you are. How could they live with themselves, after having done a thing like that?" She threw the blanket on the sofa and laid down on it.

"Look at me ... Victoria, people don't see me on this personal level. In my life, I have commanded horrible and inhumane things and that is a fact. They were not groundless, but that does not make it any more morally bearable. Not for the people who were affected. Some things I have done, I did it because it was the right thing to do. Others because they were ordered. These are probably the first two lessons one learns within the military - first: If you wish to command, you must learn how to obey first and second: there is nothing you are not capable of. In a war, you do not have the luxury to ponder about the moral implications of a decision. Sometimes lives are just numbers, sometimes you make a tough decision just to show the enemy that you are capable of such actions and sometimes you do it because it is the lesser evil. Anyhow, in the end, you have to live with these decisions. With the right as well as with the wrong. For many people, your death would only be a just punishment, a kind of revenge for the ones I destroyed. I do not know how I can make you understand this ... The question of whether it would be just, moral and thoughtful do not matter here. I care about you and you are irreplaceable, which makes you a very tempting target for my enemies. Therefore, I want you to learn how to defend yourself. You have done nothing to disserve this, but as long as I live – and possibly even longer - your life will be in danger. It is my fault and I wish it were otherwise, but I cannot change it."

Vistoriy looked hesitantly at her father. "What have you done?"

"Do not ask questions to which you do not want to hear the answers ..." He had never been ashamed of his orders, but to explain something of such magnitude to his little daughter, for that he was not ready. "….but children should not pay the price for the deeds of their parents."

"Ok, I'll watch the video and take the self-defense course."

"Good. You should go to bed now. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Night, Dad."

...

Leia was standing near the information booth at Myrtol spaceport and she was freezing. At least the weather was reliable here. It was always cold.

"Mom!"

Leia turned and saw Victoria running towards her. The two shared a warm hug and Leia kissed her daughter on both of her cheeks. "What did you think you were doing?"

"I'm sorry, Mom!"

"Hello. Leia."

She let go of Victoria and turned to Thrawn. "Hello. Nice to see you."

In order to escape the cold, the three got going quickly. Once in Hangar 37, Thrawn saw, to his surprise, a stretched Sorosuub yacht.

"The Lady Luck? Calrissian's ship?"

"Yes. You know how it is – as soon as you find a base camp and you have to abandon it again. Those cursed Imperials." Leia grinned.

"Yes, I have heard that they can be quite persistent."

"Tell me about it! Even at Christmas they won't leave us alone. Nevertheless, we made the best of it and the fleet has a small Christmas celebration at the moment. I could hardly ask Jaina and Jacen to miss it."

"That means you are alone out here?" Thrawn asked incredulously.

Leia nodded.

"I do not know if I should be upset or surprised that your husband let you fly out here alone."

"I can take care of myself, you know," she said coquettishly, and then stopped at the entry hatch, pressing her daughter tightly to her. "So here we are ... are you leaving right away? Do you want to stay for a cup of coffee, perhaps?"

Actually, he should not do that, but the thought of the long flight back was, at the moment, not very attractive. "Very well. But only briefly."

...

The coffee was strong and its comforting smell filled the room. The Lady Luck was a lot more spacious and luxurious than the Falcon and it seemed to have several more recreation areas.

Victoria had already disappeared into her quarters in order to play with her new toy. So Leia and Thrawn sat alone in one of the lounges.

"Coffee is a terrible human invention." He reached for the cup. "It is highly addictive."

Leia smiled. "Yes, it is a truly underrated drug." But then her expression fell. "Thrawn ... I ..."

She seemed to have problems putting all of her feelings into words.

"Thank you. Thank you for searching for her and finding her and bringing her back to me now. I was afraid that you would not allow it. That was probably one of the reasons why I did not contact you sooner when she disappeared ... I was so scared. She is back with me now, and that is, by far, the best Christmas present."

He turned the cup in his hands and looked down. "She is my child, Leia. I would never intentionally harm her or allow anyone else to do so. But the thought of keeping her did cross my mind."

It was good to know that he was honest with her, but it was a little disturbing, too. "What stopped you?"

"She needs you. No matter what she does or says, she is still a child and needs her mother, her family. You have raised her well."

Leia laughed. "Yes, it shows. So well that she runs away from me!"

He shook his head. "Well, apart from that misstep, she is a wonderful child. I would prefer not to see her name on the blacklist in four years time. She deserves better."

Leia bit her lower lip. In four years, Victoria would be of age and from then on her association with Alliance would officially brand her as a Rebel. A life on the run, as a public enemy.

"We both had a good education and enjoyed the freedom of choice, which you may take her. I returned her, but in return, I expect that you grant her just that, if you should ever want to leave the Alliance."

"You expect me to let her go? To work for the Empire? To join the 'Imperial University of Coruscant'? I don't know if I can."

He reached across the table for her hand. "Leia, our daughter is growing up. At 18, you were already a member of the Imperial Senate. I expect that you will respect her decisions, just as your parents did. You want her to believe in fighting for the Alliance. I certainly do not. But this is not about us. This is about her. We have to think about what she wants. I want you to promise me that. And by then the whole thing with the 'Imperial University of Coruscant' might long since have passed - maybe this is even more reason to let her go to that seminar, as reality often falls short of imagination."

Leia stared at her now interlocking hands. When had he last held her hand in his? It was long ago. Still, it was familiar. How could he request this? And how could she refuse? He had always done the right thing and had been a good father whenever he had had the chance. His arguments were understandable when she looked at them objectively, but it also meant that she might have to say goodbye to her daughter soon...

"I promise. Even though it would break my heart to let her go."

"Thanks." He pressed her hand and then let it go. "It means a great deal to me to know this." He pointed to the now empty coffee cup. "And thanks for the coffee." Then he got up and made preparations to go.

"Wait a moment. I'll pick up the cups and be right back," Leia replied.

Evidently, she was planning to escort him out. When she returned, she had a white envelope in her hand, which she was mysteriously waving.

"I have long wondered how I could ever repay you for everything you've done. So, here."

She went to him and handed him the envelope. A little skeptical, but curious, Thrawn opened it. It contained a Christmas card that had 'Merry Christmas' in golden letters printed on its front. When he opened it, he read the hand-written words: 'Now we are even'.

He dropped the card and looked inquiringly at Leia. "Even? I do not think I understand what you are referring to."

Without warning, she rose up on her tip-toes, leaned into him and kissed him. It took Thrawn a second to realize what had just happened. Of course, the bathroom kiss. The envelope still in his hand, he slowly closed his arms around her and the kiss intensified. It was not as passionate as the one couple of months ago, but it was still an unmistakable kiss.

As suddenly as she had initiated the kiss, Leia broke away from him again, fell back to her actual size and with a calculated smile, looked up at him, with her arms still wrapped around his neck. "Thank you. For everything," she said simply and then stepped back, which finally separated them.

"I preferred the first thank you" Thrawn said, but did not attempt to hold her.

Leia laughed. "Yes, I can imagine." When she walked towards the exit, Thrawn shook his head. He feared he would never truly understand women.

What a Christmas ...

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	10. Flashback: THE FIRST DAY WITH VICTORIA

He was nervous. He hadn't been nervous in long time... and surely not over something as `normal´ as this. It was normal. A normal process in life, repeated countless times on countless of planets to countless of creatures. Still, he was nervous.

"Please, do not wake her when she is asleep. I would not…" But it was already too late; Leia returned to the sitting room with a small, white bundle in arms.

It was impossible to see inside the blanket from his sitting position and something indefinable prevented him from getting up and satisfying his curiosity. Maybe it was more than just nervousness.

„Stretch out your arms." Leia ordered, but he hesitated.

„I am not sure if that is a good idea. I do not have much experience with children. Especially with those so young."

Strictly speaking Victoria wasn't that young anymore. She was already six weeks old, but work had prevented him from returning to Coruscant sooner. Apparently, she had grown a lot since then, but, looking at the tiny bundle in Leia's arms, he sincerely doubted that.

"Don't be afraid. You won't hurt her."

"You do not know that."

Leia laughed a little and then lowered the baby into his arms, despite his objections.

"I do know. And now lift your left arm to support the baby's head." This time he did as he was told, while fully concentrating on the baby.

"There you go."

The blanket was warm and soft and when Leia finally pulled it away a little, Thrawn stared in awe at the baby. She was perfect. In every way perfect. No doubt about that. He had seen a holo of her, but it surely did not do her justice. She was beautiful.

Victoria must have noticed the transition and started to cry, while opening her large, brown eyes to search for her mother.

"I'm here sweetie. Mommy's here." She said, reached over and slowly stroked her cheek, until she was quite again. "She's a pretty sight, isn't she?"

Thrawn still stared at the baby and when their eyes finally met, he was caught. He knew it. This was his little girl. His baby.

"She is. I can hardly believe I created her." He confessed. She was just too good, too pure, too innocent and too helpless to be given to someone like him.

Leia glanced at him. "You created her?"

He looked at Leia, giving her a weak smile. "Alright, you helped – a little."

"You're unbelievable!"

"So I have heard." He reached for the baby and Victoria gripped his fingers surprisingly strong. "She certainly knows what she wants." He smiled down at her. "Do you not, Victoria?"

"I hope you don't mind that I named her without you?" He shook his head.

"Not at all. The name seems fitting considering the circumstances and it was your right to name her. Whatever I may say – she is your baby far more than she is mine – at least in all the ways that matter."

Leia swallowed. It was easier to tease. Yes, he had never been there, and – by the sound of it – never would.

"You are her father." He simply nodded, not wanting to go into the whole nature vs. nurture debate. Victoria was sleeping again, one hand pressed against his chest and the thumb of the other in her mouth. Then he lifted her a little and marveled once more at how light she was, how small.

Leia smiled. He loved her. But then again, how could he not? She was the most beautiful baby in the galaxy, after all! Still, she had been nervous. It was good to see that he opened up to the baby so easily. Also the way he handled her became more natural.

"Can I leave you two alone for a minute? I want to get us some drinks."

Thrawn looked at Victoria and then nodded. "I think we are fine. She is sleeping."

"That's a good sign. She doesn't sleep in everyone's arms, you know?"

"I certainly hope so."

When Leia retuned with some tea and a pair cups, her daughter was awake again happily chewing on some plastic ring. "Ch'tra sj'iu, Tekari."

Leia looked over the table at the two of them. What that his mother tongue? Probably. Thinking about it, it was probably quite normal that he would talk to his daughter in… She'd forgotten the word…

Leia shook her head. It wasn't that important. While pouring them some tea, she put a red box in front for him.

"Thank you, but I cannot except this." His eyes rested on the box. It had been a present to the birth of their daughter.

"Is it not common to present the mother of your child with a gift? As a sign of appreciation?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Leia sighed. "It is. But not on this scale. Especially not if the woman in question is married to another man. I could not wear it."

"I see." He took the box and put it in one of his jacket's pockets, while Victoria pulled on it rather demandingly. "Would it be acceptable if I would buy something for the child instead?"

Leia smiled in her cup. "Theoretically. Though, I doubt she's interested jewels yet."

"I saw a painting a while ago. A beautiful countryside, quite colorful… it conveys a peaceful, loving atmosphere. Something that might be good in a little girl's room. I think she might like it. Besides, an appreciation for art has to be cultivated from early age."

"That sounds like a nice present. But don't get your hopes up too high about the arts…"

"I won't."

…

A short while later the baby was crying as loudly as her little lungs allowed.

"Alright. You take her." Thrawn handed the baby back to its mother, who grinned broadly. He really had tried to clam her down.

"Why is she crying? Do you think she is ill? Or hurt?"

Leia laughed. "No, she is in perfect health." He did not seem to understand.

"She is hungry." Leia rocked her up and down. "Schhhh. This may take a while. You can wait here while I go to the nursery or come back another time."

Thrawn looked at her and tilted his head slightly while half a smile was forming on his face. "Are you honestly implying that it would embarrass you if I would see you breastfeeding my child? Or is General Solo uncomfortable with such arrangements?"

"That's none of your business."

"That is ridiculous."

As if speaking of the devil, Han opened the front door. His eyes froze on Thrawn.

"I did not know we were expecting visitors." He went over to Leia and kissed her. "How are my two angels?"

Thrawn watched the scene from a distance. Han was doing this on purpose. Either to hurt him, to show him whose family this was or simply because he was insecure, jealous, maybe even frightened...

"It was a rather spontaneous visit and I am actually just about to leave."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear it."

Leia watched Thrawn out of the corner of his eye, but his expression remained unreadable. If he wanted to hurt Han - now was the moment, but luckily he decided against it.

"Take care you two. General Solo…" Both men shock hands.

Leia followed him to the door. "I'm sorry, that was a bit of an awkward situation….You will come back, right?"

"Not if Solo will have his way."

Leia reached out and tenderly touched his arm. "Your daughter wants you to come back and … so do I."

His eyes were fixed on her hand that was still resting on his arm. "It will always be awkward."

"I know." They stood in silence for second, both wanting to talk, but neither of them knew what to say. "Good. I shall return then."

 

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	11. The affair

Leia looked in the mirror. She looked good - beautiful even. The right dress and the right make-up could work true miracles these days. She wore a stunning red dress that was bound all the way down, while still exposing both her back and shoulders and it was tight at all the right places… In short: it was perfect.

Victoria was still running up and down in the bathroom. "It looks stupid, Mum! I simply cannot fill it!" She lifted her dress over her nonexistent cleavage. Victoria wore a tight, sleeveless black dress with transparent pantyhose and high-heeled shoes. She looked very good. Tall and slim, and in Leia's opinion, far too old. But at 16, all girls wanted to be at least 18, and talking her into a less sexy dress would have been just as useless as talking Darth Vader into wearing pink for a change.

"You look fine, honey."

"No, I don't." Victoria declared, proudly presenting her mother a push-up bra. "This will better do the trick."

Leia rolled her eyes. Daughters!

30 minutes, half a tone of make-up and hair spray and a roll of double-faced adhesive tape later, Victoria was finished. Admittedly, she looked good. But just too…

"… you look like your 20!" The infamous Han Solo's finger was pointing at his step-daughter.

Victoria beamed. "Well, mission accomplished then!"

"You can't let her go like this."

Leia shook her head and looked up to her daughter, who was now, with her heels, actually a head taller than she was. "How? Han… I know how you feel and believe me I feel the same, but girls are like that. Especially at her age. Their hormones are getting all crazy and they want to be all grown up from one day to another."

Han sighed. "Alright. But you look out for her. She may look like 20, but she sure as hell isn't!"

Leia laughed. "Oh yes, I will. And you look after the twins. Don't let Jaina break the toaster again. It's the fifth this month."

Han grimaced. "Yeah, sounds like the easier job tonight."

Victoria nervously turned the invitation over in her hands. "Mum, we really, really have to leave NOW!"

….

"Are you nervous?" Leia asked her daughter in the back of the glider during their ride from the hotel to the church.

"Yeah, a little. It's my first wedding." She smiled. "Do you think it will be romantic? Like in those holo movies?"

Hapes was very beautiful and it was the Princes' wedding after all.

"Probably. You are very fortunate to have a royal wedding to be your first."

"I know." Victoria beamed. "There will be lots of important people! Imagine if I were to meet Prince Xizor! He is invited too, you know!"

"As is the Emperor, but I'm certain he won't attend. Most of the so called intergalactic high society have better things to do then to attend a royal wedding of a comparably small, independent system."

Victoria's face darkened. "Do you think Dad will make it?"

"He said he would try to come, if only to see you again. But you know how it is…"

Victoria nodded. "How come you know the Prince?"

Leia smiled. "You seem to forget with whom you are talking, young lady. I was once a princess myself and I was a member of the Imperial Senate, too. Just because you do not remember those times, doesn't mean they did not exist. If Alderaan would still exist, I like to believe that I might have been a possible candidate for the Prince."

"You? Leia Organa, Princess of Hapes?" Victoria laughed. "I don't think so. Besides this blonde guy isn't really that great. You two wouldn't have been a good match."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. Even you and Han are better than you and Isolder."

Leia looked at her daughter who apparently hadn't even noticed her verbal slip. Children.

The gilder came to a sudden halt and the chauffer opened the door. "Ladies, we have arrived."

…

The ceremony had been beautiful, but also long and tiresome. And when it was finally over, Victoria was more than grateful for the Champagne and the little snacks they served outside of the cathedral. The weather was beautiful and there were doves rising to the sky as a sign of good future for the bride and groom.

Still sipping at her drink she spotted her father talking to an elderly human she had never seen before. She went slowly over and wasn't sure whether or not she was allowed to interrupt their conversation. When her father spotted her, he stopped talking, looking at her intently.

"I know how stereotyped this will sound but…" he took her hands and pulled her in sight, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. "…child you have grown."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you!"

"Turn around."

She smiled again and happily obeyed.

Thrawn shook his head. "Sir John. This is my little daughter, Victoria." He held her hand and then formally introduced her to the older man, who turned out to be the minister of foreign affairs of Hapes.

"She is a real beauty, Admiral. You must be very proud."

If possible, Victoria's smile became even larger.

"At the moment I am still in shock, but I have no doubt the proudness will follow."

The sun was burning down and to Victoria's surprise she could feel the Champagne already. She needed to eat something more substantial soon. Hopefully, this would not take too long.

"I told you to stay in sight." A cold voice from behind Victoria said and the young girl sighed.

"Mum, we are at a royal wedding, not in Jabba's palace." She tried to sound neutral, but her voice still betrayed the annoyance the felt.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Leia said bitterly and stepped into view.

"Lady Organa Solo." Sir John greeted her warmly. "It's a pleasure you see again."

"The pleasure is all mine. I haven't been on Hapes in seventeen years and it's still as beautiful as I remembered."

Sir John looked from Leia to Thrawn. "Oh, yes. I forgot. You two met here, didn't you?"

Leia nodded. "Yes, we did."

Victoria stared at her mother. Why did nobody tell me that?

"Well I guess I better leave you alone."

…

Thrawn smiled faintly. "Hello Leia."

"Hello." She returned the smile, but neither of them moved. Both unsure of how to properly greet the other. Like Victoria they were stuck somewhere in-between. More than friends, less than lovers, but most importantly, nothing for the public eye.

"What have you done to my little girl? I almost did not recognize her."

"Half of it is fake. She put a lot of effort into looking like this."

"Didn't!"

He smiled. "I see. You better stay at my side tonight – you should require a gun-license to wear a dress like that."

"DAD!"

"Do you not think that it might be a bit suggestive for someone your age? Men might get the wrong idea."

"Not you too." Victoria rolled her eyes.

Leia grinned. "Han said something along those lines earlier."

"As much as it pains me to say this: He is right." Thrawn took the Champagne glass from her hand and replaced it with a glass of orange juice from one of the passing dinner trays.

"Dad, don't you think th…"

"No."

"But…" Victoria looked at her father with large eyes.

"This is not a discussion. No more Champagne."

She looked a bit grumpy and then sighed. "Ok."

Leia eyed Thrawn. "Well done. You should come around more often. To you at least she listens."

"An effect that might wear off, if I actually would see her more often, I am afraid."

Victoria crossed her arms in front of her chest. Finally looking all of her sweet 16 years again. "Would you please stop talking about me like I wasn't here! Thanks." So far this wedding did not live up to her expectations!

…

"May I introduce Rose Fenia. She studied intergalitical art and advices me with some of my purchased."

Rose was human, young and very beautiful. She was tall, blond, had pale skin, emerald green eyes and a body to kill. Furthermore, she wore a simple, yet elegant, black dress that emphasized all her female curves perfectly, without looking cheap. Leia did not like her.

"I did not know you needed advising?" She said, while the waiter put a salad tray in front of them.

They were sitting in the great ballroom in the palace of Hapes, while people were serving dinner.

"I do have a fair knowledge about art, yes. But I do not have as much time as I would like to spend on it to perfect it. Rose specializes on counterfeits and her record is truly remarkably."

The young woman at his side blushed slightly.

"Are you here to buy art?" Victoria asked and reached for the pudding.

"Yes, the Prince has an outstanding collection and I am interested in one of his pieces… Victoria, do you always start with the desert?"

Her first reaction was to put the bowl back down, but then she put some of its content demonstratively, if not to say provocatively, on her plate.

Thrawn looked at Leia. A silent, but at the same time very loud `Why does my daughter not know table manners?´ filling the air. Leia swallowed. True, it was a bit embarrassing, but between space battles and running the rebellion, there was little time for such trivial matters. They were happy to have food most of the time.

Victoria looked around. They shared their table not only with Mrs. Fenia, but also with a strange religious leader from Zeltros, a state represent from Talos and some other Imperial guys. She really should start to learn the rank-bars. One of them was really nice. A young Officer with blue eyes. His name was David and it was easy talking to him. But for most of the dinner Victoria said nothing and listened to the speeches and performances that interrupted the meal. Afterwards, the atmosphere became a bit more relaxed and people started to change tables, went to the bar or danced. To Victoria's surprise, Prince Isolder was keen to speak to all of his guests and so also reached their table eventually.

"Admiral, I'm so sorry it took so long. When do you want to see the picture? We could go now. It's not far away. Just down the corridor."

Thrawn nodded. "The sooner the better." And with that, the three left.

…

"Do you want to dance?"

Victoria nearly choked on her orange juice. "W-what?"

"I asked if you would like to dance." David said, looking sweet.

"I, I can't."

"Really? It would be a shame."

Was he flirting with her? And where was her mother? Victoria looked around. Great, the one minute she actually needed her, she was at the bar talking to some politician!

"Uh… You see, I really cannot dance. I never learned it." She blushed, a bit embarrassed about her lack of knowledge in that field.

"Wow, I always thought that all beautiful, young ladies could."

Victoria was sure she blushed even more, though she didn't want to. David was nice, but she felt really, really uncomfortable.

"I could show you." he offered.

"NO!"

He grinned. "Why not? Are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid."

The grin became even wider. "Good, then we can dance." He took her hand and pulled her to the dance floor.

HELP! Ok, don't panic. This is dancing. Not a matter of life or death. You can do this. Victoria wasn't sure how he had managed to get her here, but she would not be pushed around like that again. It felt like an electric shock when the young man put his hand on her hip and took the other in his hand. Was this normal? Somewhere in between he told her what to do and despite everything, Victoria managed to put his instructions into action, without looking like a total fool.

"You are good. Is this really your first time?"

Victoria nodded. "Yes and if you do not stop talking, I'll mix things up and you'll get to know my stiletto."

He smiled. "Nice. I like women with spirit."

Suddenly, David pushed his hand from her hip all around her waist and pulled her closer.

DADDY! Without thinking Victoria took his hand and placed it back at her side, glaring at him, but he just grinned. Idiot!

Unexpectedly David came to a sudden halt and Victoria spotted her father next to them.

"I hope you do not mind." He reached out a hand and Victoria took it gratefully.

"Not at all, Sir." The young Officer nodded once and then left.

Once he was out of listening range, Victoria sighed audibly. "Thanks."

"You did not look too happy. I thought it better to intervene."

"Yes." She rested her head on his shoulder and almost cried. She had not wanted that. "It was terrible. I think…I think he…"

"I know. Looking grown up and being grown up are two different things."

She nodded silently and was thankful that he did not remind her of his warning.

"Victoria, no man is ever allowed to do things to you, you do not want."

She nooded again. "Yes, I know."

After the music stopped they both went back to their table.

"Dancing with your daughter, but not with me?" Leia asked, smiling over her Champagne glass.

"A situation easily remedied." He assured, took her hand and pulled her back to dance floor.

Her parents were good at dancing. Both of them. It looked really professional.

...

Meanwhile Leia was having a good time. "It's actually nice, dancing with you."

"Why did you think I couldn't do it?"

"No, actually I think that there are relatively few things you can't do." Maybe she had had too much Champagne.

He just smirked. "I take that as a compliment."

…

Back at the table people were congratulating Isolder on his beautiful wife.

"Yes, I'm indeed a lucky man." He laughed and then looked at Thrawn. "Why did you never marry, Admiral? A man in your position should have no trouble finding a wife. Haven't you found the right one yet, or was it a conscious decision not to."

Victoria just grinned and if Thrawn was annoyed by the question, he did not show it.

"Only beginners marry, Prince. While the rest of us enjoy love without the shackles of marriage."

Isolder laughed. "I see. Though I do not share your attitude."

"Obviously."

Leia starred in her glass. Had he really never thought about marriage? On the other hand, he was a soldier within the Imperial Navy. Most of those military marriages didn't work, as the men were always gone. But did he really believe in this whole "love without the shackles of marriage" thing? Somehow he wasn't the type. Or maybe it was just because he wasn't the type that he had never married. Maybe he believed in marriage or wanted to believe in it, while knowing that a marriage under his current conditions was as good as impossible. Or maybe she was just kidding herself. He was a man. One of those that, if anything, looked even better with age and he was very influential. He could have women and chances were that he did. Her gaze involuntary returned to the young female at his side. She was too pretty for her own good. How old might she be? 23? 24? She had been 24 when Victoria had been born. A strange knot unexpectedly formed in her abdomen… Leia sighed. Typical, while unmarried women ended up as an "old maid" or even worse "spinster", men were "bachelors" or "playboys" that "enjoyed love without the shackles of marriage". She needed more Champagne.

"….want to see it?"

Leia had been completely lost in her thoughts and drinks. "Sorry. I was thinking. What did you say?"

Thrawn looked at her; as usual no sign of what was going on in his mind showing on his face. "I asked if you wanted to see the painting I just bought."

"Why?"

"Because you will like it."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because I have not much love for the arts."

"Trust me."

Well, trusting an Imperial Grand Admiral was generally a death sentence or a sign of mental instability, but against her better judgment Leia nodded and followed him.

The old castle corridors were empty and dark.

"Do you know where we are going?" Leia asked, sound slightly afraid.

"I do."

Leia looked around. It was a lot like the palace in Alderaan had been. Large, golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, red carpets and large oil paintings covered the floors and the walls.

"In here." Thrawn entered a code on the control panel.

"Prince Isolder gave you the code to his personal art gallery?"

"Apparently."

The door opened with a hiss, as the room was usually in a state of vacuum, to preserve the artworks from falling apart. That was also the reason why the room had no windows, showed no traces of technology and was very cold.

Leia shivered.

"Ms. Fenia said it is over 1,500 years old. It has been repainted and restored a hundred times and still it is priceless."

Not for you apparently. Leia came to a halt beside him and felt her eyes filling with water. Alderaan. The historic center of its capital. It had looked different in her times, sure. But she recognized most of it.

"Alderaanian art is quite popular at the moment, so I had to make sure this was the real deal."

"Why did you buy it?" Leia whispered, still staring at the picture.

"I am not blind to the shortcomings of the Empire, nor am I unsympathetic to what happened to Alderaan, Leia. Besides, our daughter is of direct lineage. She should have it one day. It is part of who she is."

"You bought this for Victoria?"

He nodded. "Partially and partially because Ms. Fenia assured me that Adleraanian art is an excellent investment, which is not that surprising if one considers that its rarity is a granted factor."

Leia finally managed to take her eyes off the picture. "You give her a lot of credit. Have you worked together for long?"

"No, not long, but she is very gifted. The few time we worked together were quite satisfactory."

Leia felt her stomach tightened. "Are you sleeping with her?" The question was out, before she could even think to stop it.

Thrawn stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry. I had no right to pry."

"True. And what difference would it make to you? Because last time I checked you were still married to Solo." He was now standing right in front of her, looking down at her.

Leia swallowed the rest of her Champagne with one gulp. Damn it, he was right. She did know why she'd asked and now she had crossed the line again, threatening their fragile friendship once more. "Sorry, I am…" she wanted to say `drunk´, but he finished the sentence for her.

"…. jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Leia insisted, sounding harsher than intended.

"Yes you are, princess. I am just not sure whether to be angry or pleased about it." Suddenly, he came closer, leaned in and then pressed her with his lean body against the cool, solid wall. "You tell me."

"Do you sleep with her?" Leia asked again, looked up at him and absentmindedly chewed on her lower lip, too late realizing the implied temptation of such a gesture. A temptation that, by all appearances, he could not resist, as he suddenly leaned in and kissed her. A faint moan escaped her lips when they met his and instinctively Thrawn wrapped his right arm around her waist and brought her even closer to his hard body.

What am I doing? Leia found herself reacting to him without thinking, opening her mouth, inviting him in. She could feel him smirk even while kissing her. Enjoying yourself, are you? What an arrogant, vain, self-centred, pompous… what the hell am I doing?

By now, he had completely taken over control and, against her better judgment, Leia indulged in this foreign, yet familiar feeling that sent shivers down her spine and made her head spin. Kriff, he was good at this. She could feel her body warming up quickly and felt the undeniable yearning to be close to him. Her hand traveled through his hair and she only broke their kiss for lack of oxygen. She smiled shyly when she looked up at him. No, as much as she wanted to, she could not blame the Champagne for the weakness in her knees, the heat in her stomach or the light-headedness. That was entirely his doing.

"What are we doing?" She asked in a hushed voice once he liberated her mouth and left a trail of kisses down her neck instead.

"What we should have done years ago." He kissed her again and deepened the already passionate kiss, while shifting her frame into an almost sitting position between himself and the wall.

"Here? Are you mad?"

He grinned. "I would be mad not to. Otherwise I might have to wait for another 16 years to find you drunk and willing."

"So you know about my condition and take full advantage of it?"

He kissed her neck and stroked with both hands slowly down her petite frame. "Certainly."

Leia did not know why, but she smiled, part of her loved him for his boldness. The nerve of that man!

The strings of her dress turned out to be a real challenge as it was bound all the way down her back. Surely he would not be able to open it like this. "Having trouble back there?" Leia teased and smiled playfully, tempting her lover. Then, with a sudden motion, she felt her dress loosening and falling off of her shoulders, exposing her upper body to him.

"Not anymore."

The exposure to the cold air made her shiver and also made her realize the frivolity of her situation. What if anybody would see them? Not very likely. Had he planned this? Stop thinking. A hushed cry escaped her lips and when Leia opened her eyes again she saw the pictures that in turn stared back at them. People and places from all over the universe, witnessing their primitive act of love and lust.

He caressed her face, smiled and then again bent down to start his slow torture on her more sensitive areas. When she moaned in quite wimps he returned to her lips, kissing her more violently, while pressing his whole boy against her, allowing the prominent erection inside his pants first contact.

Only vaguely Leia felt her dress being pulled down completely and then heard the familiar sound of a belt coming undone. They were about to have sex. The realization hit Leia like a sledgehammer and she panicked. "Thrawn….I'm married."

"I know you want this…Leia…" He breathed heavily and then rested his head on the cool wall to calm down. "I will not have you if you do not want me."

They stared at each other silently and neither of them moved. Yes, he was right. She wanted this. Wanted him. But….

Then he kissed her again, slowly, deeply and this time Leia could feel the salt of tears in her mouth. I'm crying. Leia realized all of a sudden and then pulled him closer, for shelter or comfort she didn't know, but she knew it was good. And she could feel him. God, please…. A part of her wished that he would just make the decision for her, but he did not.

Through tearful eyes she looked at him, their faces only inches apart. "Yes." She whispered. "I want you… I have always wanted you." She was not embarrassed about what she'd said or how it sounded. It was the truth, she had always wanted him … somehow. She touched his face, kissed him and then pulled him close again. There was no mistaking now what or who she wanted. Their kiss deepened once more, causing her to arch her back and moan into his mouth. Yes, it was time...

…

Leia looked at herself in the mirror of the women's bathroom. Her cheeks were still flushed and she felt like everyone could see that she'd just broken her marriage vows. Like there was some big, neon-lit bar sign, pointing right at her. Now she was an adulterer and she would have to live with that for the rest of her life. Leia sighed, turned around and rechecked the back of her dress, the bounding looked all right. Her hair was a different matter though. Some of the locks had come loose and Leia quickly refastened them with some pins.

Good heavens, what have I done? She went to the toilet for a second time, rationally knowing that nothing could undo what had been done. Still, it made her feel better.

"Mum? Are you here?"

Her daughter. Their daughter. Thank god she hadn't had the courage to abort her 16 years ago. Leia felt tears in her eyes and reached for the toilet paper. Oh for heaven's sake…"Yes, sweetie, I'm here."

"Are you crying? Is everything alright?"

She heard her daughter through the cubicle door. "I'm fine, honey."

"Did you two have a fight?"

Leia laughed. Yes, a fight. She shook her head. Get a grip girl! You had sex. Good sex. Fantastic sex. That is no reason to cry. After fixing herself, Leia flushed the toilet, closed the door and went to the sink to wash her hands. "No, honey your father and I did not have a fight. I'm just a little emotional tonight. I haven't been to such events in a long time. And your father showed me a picture of Alderaan. It was all a bit much." She searched inside her handbag and then started fixing her make-up. "Here" She handed her daughter the black eye-liner, who took it with a smile.

"Thanks!" Victoria was really beautiful, maybe too beautiful.

"Don't grow up too fast, hon."

"Why?"

Leia sighed. "I did and I regretted it. Listen to your mother and enjoy your life. Headaches and heartbreaks will come soon enough without you chasing them."

Somehow Victoria sensed that her mother was not speaking about the past exclusively. "Do you want to leave?"

Leia nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. Let's get back home."

**PP**

The ride back to the hotel felt longer than the ride to party had. Usually, it was the other way around, but tonight too much had happened - to both women.

Victoria was still shaken by David's advances. Were men always that aggressive when it came to women? No, he hadn't really been aggressive, but he surely had been very straight forward, making quite clear what he wanted and that he intended to get it. The few times she had actually liked a guy, she had not even managed to open her mouth out of fear of making a complete fool out of herself. Or was it just these military men? Soldiers? Imperials? Members of the Alliance usually talked poorly about Imperials, especially about the officers. She had even heard stories about rape during interrogation. Most of the time she had put those stories down to propaganda and had not given them much credit, but in her darker moments she had wondered… The Emperor was a cruel, calculating politician, whose sole ambition was power; galactic domination and he did not care about how it was achieved. It was war, after all, and war was and would always be a brutal and ugly business. In war, there were no rules, no restrictions and all was fair. It was no place for the so-called `faint hearted´ and `naïve´. At least, so they said. And her father was an expert of war - one of the Emperor's favorites. Sometimes people were terrified as soon as they realized who her father was…. Victoria sighed. Not for the first time she wondered who her father really was. As far as she was concerned, he was the man she loved, trusted and looked up to. But that was `Dad´, not `Grand Admiral Thrawn´. It would be childish to imagine that he was not capable of… She did not even dare to go there. But then again she knew, he had admitted it once, too. He had said that he had committed some `horrible and inhumane´ crimes. And still, she could not imagine him doing it. She had often wondered why people never talked about him, why mother never talked about him. When they were together they were…distant, not like parents were supposed to look like, not even the divorced ones. He had said that no man had the right to do things to her that she didn't want, but her rational mind told her that Grand Admiral Thrawn probably did not have the moral high ground to lecture anybody about the rights and wrongs of life. And he had said that nobody had the right to touch HER. His daughter… Victoria chewed on her lower lip.

"Mum, my father, did he ...attack you?"

The question brought Leia out of her own pondering and back into the present. "What?" Victoria's question shocked her and she blinked at her, for a second not sure what to say. " Victoria….Heavens, no! What made you say that?"

"Nothing." She replied sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No." Leia shock her head. "Victoria, you can't ask a question of that nature and not expect to invite a conversation with it." What was she talking about? Had she seen them leaving the gallery and misinterpreted the signs?

Victoria stared at her mother for a moment, and then said, "I guess I just wondered why no one has ever attempted to explain to me why my parents barely knew each other and yet found the opportunity to…" She made an innocent gesture. "…you know."

Leia sighed, relieved that Victoria was talking about their distant past and not this evening. Still. This was disturbing. Very disturbing. "Sweetheart, your father has never been anything but…sensitive and protective around me."

Victoria felt her emotions swell inside of her. "Mum, I want to know how it is that I came about…. You never told me and …. I really need to know. Or would you prefer my imagination running wild?"

"No, I don't want that. Especially not when I see the conclusions you jump to." Leia sighed and shook her head. "I guess I was just waiting for the right moment, when you were old enough."

"And when would that be? When I'm your age?"

"No," Leia replied with an easy smile and put an arm around her daughter, squeezing her shoulders. "You seem to have grown up while I wasn't looking and perhaps now is the time I should tell you."

Victoria turned to face her mother, while Leia looked down and reached for her daughter's hands. "You already know that your father and I were enemies until a temporary truce was signed between the Rebellion and the Empire to unite against the Waroom invasion of the galaxy."

Victoria nodded, that much of her parent's past was in all of the history books.

"And you know that your father and I were kidnapped in an attempt by the Vong to gain leverage."

"Yes," Victoria stated impatiently. Again, this was all common knowledge to any of her classmates.

"Well, during our imprisonment, your father and I were kept in tight quarters. We were made to perform manual labor to an extent that I was not fit for. Thrawn did most of my work to save me from punishment. He protected me from the other prisoners and the guards and was overall…very nice to me."

Victoria nodded, dampness coming to her eyes unbidden. She had suspected that their mutual kidnapping had played a key role in her conception. The dates certainly lined up that way.

"I fell in love with your father during that time. Extreme circumstances can sometimes…speed those feelings along. However, I was acutely aware that what I felt for him was to be fleeting at best. I respected his mind, was impressed by his actions and…," Leia paused and then continued, "I was certainly attracted to him physically. But I was in love with Han and knew that it was Han and I that were meant to share a life together. Through everything, your father and I both understood that it was only for the moment."

Victoria swallowed. So that was it? She was still a little confused. Sure, she was more than a little relieved that she had been conceived in mutual agreement, but… "You never loved him?" Victoria could not help the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "You loved Han?" She asked and starred stoically out of the view screen, avoiding her mother's eyes.

It was unbelievable how much that hurt… Victoria wiped away the tears she could not suppress. She was the result of a fleeting affair. An accident. Sith, what difference did it make? Millions of children were. That did not make her a lesser person! Only a little less wanted… To Hoth with it! Some minutes ago she had considered the possibility that she had been the result of rape and now she was sad that her parents had not loved each other! She was such a child!

Leia felt her heart breaking, seeing her eldest child like this. And it was not true, not entirely. After tonight there was no denying that there was still something between them.

"There are different types of love, honey. I do love your father. In my own way."

Victoria just nodded, lips pressed together. "Sure. So, it was there, then? In the prison? You never saw each other afterwards?"

Her mother shook her head at her solemnly. "Of course I saw him afterwards. You know that…. But we were never intimate after that, if it's that what you mean." Well, that wasn't entirely true either, but she could not tell her daughter that. Not now.

Victoria still looked outside.

Suddenly, there was another thought. "What did Han say about me?"

Victoria knew from the history books that her mother had met Han years before she had been conceived and that they had married before she was born. However, she had not given much thought to the idea that they were already in love and together when everything had happened. A whole new light was shed on the person that she had known as her stepfather all of her life.

"He was very understanding. He had asked me to marry him right before I told him. After the initial shock wore off, he…reiterated his offer and promised to help me raise you."

"I never knew that," Victoria whispered in response as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"He loves you like his own, you know."

All at once, Leia felt at odds with her feelings. Part of her - still recalling her encounter with Thrawn earlier and remembering how she first fell in love with him and how they created the beautiful child that now sat before her - felt warm and proud. But another part of her - the part that was thinking of her husband and everything he had done for her and all that she was risking - felt cold and confused.

Victoria nodded and then wiped her face dry. Han was a good man, better than she may have given him credit for, but… "You said that you love my father, in your own way, do you think that is a mutual feeling?" Her father had never spoken with anything but respect about her mother.

Leia almost laughed about the irony of her situation. "Yes. For reasons that sometimes escape me, your father and I have never had an issue with our mutual…attraction. But that doesn't make a relationship, Victoria."

"But you never tried-"

"Victoria, please." She could not have any more of this - not tonight!

"I was merely making an observation." The way she looked when she said that reminded her of Thrawn and against all logic that angered Leia.

"An observation that I am quite capable of making myself, if-" Victoria opened her mouth widely to interrupt, but Leia continued. "If I were inclined to pursue such a thing. Victoria, I am a married woman and frankly, I don't like what you're trying to imply."

"As you wish, mother."

For the rest of the ride neither of them spoke a word.

Han Solo was lying on the couch. The holo TV was still running and the remains of a potato chips' bag and an empty bottle of beer were still standing on the table. The twins were apparently long since in bed. He turned around as the door opened.

"Finally. I was already afraid someone might have kidnapped you." He got up from the couch. "How was the wedding?"

Leia smiled tiredly. "I don't think you would have liked it. Nevertheless, some of the performances were pretty good, as was the food."

Victoria just slipped out of her shoes. Her feet were killing her. Whoever invented high-heels deserved to be punished! She picked them up and then enjoyed the feeling of the cool, wooden floor, before heading to her room. "I'm going to bed. Night."

Han turned to Leia and raised an eyebrow. "There is someone in a bad mood. What happened?"

Leia shook her head. "Nothing. We had an argument and ahh… you know how it is. She'll be alright in the morning." Leia picked up Han's empty bottle and brought it back into the kitchen, before entering the bathroom to remove all of her hair-pins and make-up.

Leia took her time and listened to the sounds from the bedroom, in which Han was moving about, changing and fixing the bed and for the first time in years she was nervous about entering that room. It was ludicrous! Slowly Leia took a wad of absorbent cotton and soaked it in some pink make-up-remover-fluid from a small, white vial. When she moved it down her neck she involuntary closed her eyes, remembering the touch of his lips. Leia smiled as she felt her heartbeat quicken rapidly. When she opened her eyes again, she clung to the absorbed cotton for another second, before she threw it forcefully in the bin. Too bad it could only clean the skin and not the consciences...

When she entered the bedroom the lights were already out. She tried to undress, but it was useless.

"Han?" she whispered. "I need help with the dress."

The small nightstand lamp came to light.

"Alright." Han came to stand behind her, untying the strings of her dress that only hours before her lover had closed.

"This is a very stimulating dress you're wearing, Leia." He said, before it finally fell off of her shoulders, down to the floor. "Not at stimulating as what's inside though." He grinned and Leia shivered visibly as his hands moved around her waist, pulling her against him. He tried to kiss her neck, but she flinched away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said, releasing herself from his embrace and picking up the dress. And then she said it, the most stereotypical sentence in the galaxy. "It's nothing, it's late and I have a headache."

**PP**

She wasn't the same. Something had changed during the last two months. At first, Han had thought that it might have something to do with the stress of erecting their new, temporary base; here in the mountains of Kalarba, but slowly the realization dawned on him that that wasn't the reason for her strange behavior. Han watched her slip out of her nightgown and get dressed. She avoided him and sometimes looked like she had been crying. He might be a simple smuggler, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that something was wrong and that this something was probably another man. The signs were all but there. He had seen her twisting her wedding ring on more than one occasion. She was becoming more and more withdrawn and became defensive, whenever he raised the subject of her mood swings and their obvious marriage problems. Han sighed. They hadn't had sex in weeks and when they had, it had been quick, silent and rather awkward for both of them. She had never initiated it, had not craved for it and in turn he be had become desperate, irritated, angry. It didn't matter who he was. Han was about to lose his wife to him. The woman he had vowed to love, cherish and honor for the rest of his life and it hurt.

"When will come back home?" he asked.

"I do not know that yet. I could take longer." she muttered, stepping into her shoes.

Han sighed. She was avoiding him – again. He had never thought that things would come down to this. Or was he simply imagining things? Leia had so many responsibilities… maybe she was just tired…

"Would you mind if I go to Lando's, then? The boys are having a sabacc night. "

"No, not at all."

…+++…

"No force hokey pokey at the sabacc table, kiddo!" Han scolded, holding the cards close to him.

"I don't think I would win even if I were using the force! This game is awfully complicated and…..is it my turn now?"

Lando sighed. "Yes, it is. He really isn't particular good at it, is he?"

Han shook his head and grinned.

"Five," Luke said and then heard the others laughing.

"Nice to know your cards are that bad, kid. But you can only have four cards. Did you listen to a single word we said?"

"I did, but…"

"And that rule ONLY applies if you have an ace," Karrde interrupted.

"Sorry, if I do not get it straight away. I am a beginner!"

"Obviously." Lando laughed over the table.

"Give me four then."

"I want to see his ace first" Karrde insisted.

"I am a Jedi. I do not lie!"

Karrde laughed, "If that's the case I'm sure you do not mind if I want to see it anyway. Han do you have more Corellian Ale?"

"Sure thing."

…

Some hours and empty bottles later, Han scooped his chips to a nice, little mountain in front of him, grinning broadly. "Like always. It was a pleasure playing with you guys. Especially you Luke. Next time bring more credits."

Lando leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms. "Well, you know what they say: Lucky at cards, unlucky in love."

Karrde laughed. "Well then, if that's true, Luke's in for a hell of ride tonight, while our `God of the Gamblers´ here…" he put his arm around Han "…stays solo." It was a really bad pun, but by now all of them were so drunk that they laughed out loud, all - except Han. "Yeah, make fun of out me. It's not like I can't handle it. That's what I call bad losers."

He took another sip and suddenly looked very tired, miserable even. "It's true you though, you know? I am unlucky in love. My marriage is falling apart."

The room became awfully quiet, with everyone starring at Han. "I think Leia's in love with someone else and it feels like there's nothing I can do about it."

Lando starred at Han, tossing his glass around. "Leia? Come on…"

Luke shook his head. His sister would not do that! Not Leia. Leia was so perfect, so correct. She always did the right thing. She would never cheat on her husband.

"Han…I find that hard to believe. This is Leia we're talking about. You two have been together for like always. And she loves you. Maybe you're just jumping to conclusions here."

Han shock his head. "A man knows when his wife is interested in another guy. Or at least wants to fuck another." He spit the words out and then finished the glass in front of him in one go. The silence returned and hung over all of them, filling the room. Luke swallowed at his harsh words. Han usually wasn't like this, but his disappointment and the alcohol, brought the worst out of him.

"Have you at least talked to her about it?" Luke asked, feeling Han's pain through the force. At nights like this he felt like the naïve, innocent small farmboy from Tatooine again, that in some respects he still was. Compared to his current company he had no real knowledge about sabacc, alcohol or women. He was clearly out of his league here. Still, he felt compelled to defend his sister.

"How if she avoids me? Besides, I do not need to talk to her to know what's going on."

"Any suspects?" Lando inquired.

Han shook his head. "Nope. And it doesn't matter. It is how it is."

"It always matters."

Karrde had been remarkably quite, silently starring on credit-mountain, apparently thinking about something.

Han, in turn, looked at him inquiringly. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"If you know something, better spit it out, man!"

Karrde sighed, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead, before shaking is head, facing Han again. "First of all, I do not KNOW anything… but I do have a suspicion."

Han nearly jumped to his feet. "Who?"

"Thrawn."

…+++…

Leia felt like a woman ripped in two. She could not easily forget what had happened between her and Thrawn the night of the wedding on Hapes and the more she thought of it the more it bothered her. How could she break her marriage vows like that? How could she betray Han twice with the same man! Thrawn. Why did she lose all control when she was around him? Was it possible for a woman to love two men? It wasn't the first time she had asked herself that question.

Han had come home late last night from his card game and had slept on the lounger. He was in the shower now and when he entered the living area, she could tell that he was angry, hurt and confused. Who could blame him? She had been distant with him since the wedding, since... Still, she couldn't bring herself to confess to him, although it was all that she thought about lately.

"A credit for your thoughts."

She heard Han's voice whisper in her ear, the tenderness and worry behind his words ripping at her heart with guilt.

"I was just…" What could she say? She couldn't even think of a sufficient lie. Maybe it was because she was tired of living one.

"Thinking? Yeah, I know. You've been doing a lot of that lately," Han said, the first hint of aggravation lacing around his words and expression as he sat down beside her on the lounger.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I have a lot on my mind and it's…difficult to explain."

"Try me."

He seemed beyond being placated by her evasiveness. Had something happened at the card game last night? She sighed. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

Han stared at her, his gaze piercing. "If there's something that needs to be said, you should just say it. You've never been good at keeping things from me."

That was true. Han was her touchstone. But how could she tell him this? How could she break his heart…again and ask for forgiveness…again. It wasn't to be done. She had to fix this somehow.

"I think I want to get away for a while, just the two of us. We've never had a vacation together. Maybe go to Ossus with Luke. I know, it's not a real vacation, but it would be a start."

"This is nothing a change of location can solve, Leia. And running away ain't your style. It never has been."

How can she lie to someone who knows her so well? "I'm not running away. Don't you think I deserve a break? Don't you think we both do?"

"Sure," Han said, unconvinced. He pressed his hands on his knees and stood up. "Sure I think we deserve a break." Then he looked down at her and she felt like her guilty confession was written all over her face and he was reading it line by excruciating line. "But I also think that I deserve the truth."

She shook her head, lamely trying to deny how right he was. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe it's me that you need a break from. Is that it? You flinch every time I touch you lately. How am I not supposed to notice that?"

His anger was rising. Leia bit her lip, her eyes filled with tears. Still, she couldn't find a voice to any words, whether they were of denial or confession.

"Maybe I should take the twins to Ossus and leave you here to think about whatever it is that's on your mind."

She stood, facing him. "No. No, I don't want you to go."

He grabbed her by the arms, fire in his eyes. "Then tell me, Leia. I can see it all over your face. I just don't know what it is. Tell me now, because time will only make it worse."

"There's nothing to tell."

He released her. "Did you see him at that wedding?"

All of her blood rushed to her toes. "See who?"

"Thrawn." Han said his name as if it felt disgusting in his mouth. "Did you see him? And disappear with him for over an hour?"

She shook her head, feeling dizzy.

"Do me a favor and don't deny something that I already know for a fact. You're not the only one with friends in high places, sweetheart. And you should know that someone is always watching."

"He…he took me to see a rare Alderaanian painting that he had purchased for Victoria."

"For Victoria? Then why didn't he bring Victoria to see it?"

His question was a valid one, one she should've thought of. "He wanted me to see it."

"I think he wanted something else. My question is: Did he get it?"

"I don't like what you're implying."

"That's not a denial."

She wanted desperately to confess to him, keeping it all inside was obviously not an option. But she didn't want to lose him. It's a little late to worry about that. Where was that worry when you were being pressed against that cold wall? She drew in a deep breath. Han was right, it was not her style to run away.

"He showed me the Alderaanian painting. I had had a few glasses of champagne and I got…emotional."

"And?"

"We kissed and…"

Han swallowed. She could see him struggling to contain his rage. "Do you love him?"

She looked at him. "I think I always have."

Han shook his head, she had never seen him so angry. "Do you want him? Is that why you can't touch me?"

"No. I don't know." Her tears were falling now, hot streaks down her face. "I've been wracked with guilt since it happened."

"You married me. You had children with me. If it was him that you wanted-"

"No," she said, placing a trembling hand against his cheek. "I love you. I do. But…. I love him, too."

Han placed his hand on top of hers on his face and pressed it against him for a moment. And then pulling it away from his face, he said, "I'm gonna take the twins to Ossus. I don't know what you want to do and right now, I don't care. I won't share you, Leia. And I don't know if I can forgive you. So, you take this time and think about what you want…and I'll do the same."

"Please," she pleaded with him. It was as if she could feel her entire universe slipping through her fingers.

"Say your goodbyes to the kids and send them to me." He looked around, his face twisted with disgust. "I can't be here anymore."

And he left.

**PP**

"Mum, please open the door. You have to eat." Victoria sighed. This was crazy. "Mum, get out of bed. You behave like child!" Again no reaction. Leia and Han had fought before, but this time it seemed to be really bad. If they had so many problems, they should simply get a divorce. Victoria put the salad bowl down. "I'll leave the food here, in case you change your mind."

Victoria went back to her room. She really shouldn't be that upset. This was probably just another a bad phase the two were going through. Well, if this was what a grown-up relationship looked like, she wasn't interested in it. Mum and Han, even after all those years, did not make a good match. But what did people say – Opposites attract.

Victoria unpacked a book she had secretly ordered the Galactic Book Depository. The Battle of Lothal: Myth and Reality. Her mum wouldn't like it if she knew that she was reading it. It was one of the more famous battles her father had fought in. The book was bigger than anticipated. But before she could start reading it, her comlink suddenly beeped.

"Hello?"

"Victoria, is that you?" Leutennant Brynn asked. "I know you hate it, but we could really need your help down here. Another support freighter just arrived and it's a little busy in storage." Victoria rolled her eyes. At first her mum, and now container pushing for the Rebel Alliance. _What a great day!_

"Alright. I'll be down in a sec."

When Victoria returned six hours later, the salad bowl was still untouched and her mum hadn't left her rom. Neither did she the next morning.

Victoria's eyes were fixed on her mother's the door. Should she call the doctor? Or a security guard? Maybe they would force the door open if she asked nicely.

She could hear her mother moving inside, so at least that meant she was still alive. However, the situation became more and more troublesome and she had no idea how to handle it. Han had deliberately left his comlink at home and Luke was the force knows where. She still had her father's private comlink number, but did the situation really justified calling him? Probably not, but she needed someone to talk to. This was getting too much.

On the bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser "Lightbringer" an excited communication officer walk over to commander Price and general Riekan.

"Sir, we've got it. The outgoing signal, I mean. It's Princess Lea's daughter; she's talking to her father." General Riekan was lifting an eye-brow. She had never done this before. "Interesting." He looked over to commander Price. "Could be nothing…. or she's slipping information to the enemy." The other man nodded. Besides, this was too good an opportunity to miss.

"See if you can follow the signal. And put the communication through to the war room. " He nodded to Price, who followed him next door.

The dimly lighted war-room was of medium size and had a large oval table in the middle. Twelve chairs were gathered around it and in the centre of the table there was a small holo-projector, which Riekan quickly activated, a smile appearing on his face. This would be interesting. Suddenly Thrawn's imagine appeared and the ghostly voice of a female teenager filled the room.

"… _, please. You couldn't you at least try."_

" _The answer is no."_

" _But why? Maybe she…" He cut her of._

" _This is not open for discussion!" He sighed when saw the shocked look on Victoria's face . "I am sorry if that sounded harsher than intended. I see your distress and I am not unsympathetic. But I will not interfere in your mother's life. Besides, I doubt she would listen to me."_

" _She hasn't eaten in three days. And I've tried everything, I …." He cut her off._

" _Victoria, I have a job, you know? And this conversation is taking way too long."_

" _But you're my father! You said I could call you. Well, I would like to have some advice here. I'm at a loss what to do! It's like I'm the only one who cares. And it's not just mother, my life is despicable at the moment. None seems to care what I want. Do you know what I do most of the time? I have to help people at storage! Or look after the twins! I thought maybe things would get better after Corouscant, but they haven't. I'm miserable. Everything is just stupid. I hate my life!"_

" _Well, if it is fatherly advice you are seeking here, Victoria, then very well, how about this: Stop lamenting and do something about it."_

" _What kind of stupid advice is this? I'm 16! There is nothing I can do."_

" _Age is no indicator for what a person is cable of. I was twenty-one when I became supreme commander of the Chiss Expansionary Fleet."_

" _Not fair. I'm not you."_

" _All that I am trying to say is that you should not make other people responsible for your misery. You are the master of your life. You are not miserable because of your mother, because of Solo or because of me refusing your ridiculous wishes. Come to turn with reality, have goals and see things for what they are, then change what is in your power to change and make peace with the things that aren't."_

" _I don't see how. But you…"_

" _Stop it. I will hear no more of this nonsense. Leave your mother at peace, she will come around. She is stronger than you think. And you better grow up."_

" _My mother told my not to grow up too fast. She told me to enjoy life and that … I forgot… heartbreak and pain would come without me chasing it."_

" _Heartbreak?" He chuckled. "Well, I guess that was more an advice to not fall in love with the first guy you see, which I totally support. Men are terrible. Especially those wearing uniforms."_

" _Dad!"_

" _Well, I guess we better leave it at that. I really have to go now. Take care."_

With that the Holo-projector went out.

"Do we have that on record?"

Pierce nodded. "Naturally. Protocol demands it…. Should we delete it?"

"I'm tempted to keep it. I have never seen him so `normal. It's scary because we see the man behind the rank. We tend to see our enemies as monsters, which is a very dangerous path and a far to easy assumption."

Piece looked unconvinced. "We should delete it. It was a personal conversation and it's not right to keep it. We are not the Empire."

Riekan sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Delete it."

Riekan and Pierced re-entered the bridge. "Lieutenant Hobes, do you have good news?"

The young man smiled broadly. "The best, Sir. We located the Chimera."

"Where?"

The man grinned. "Only about two standard days, with maximum speed. They are in the Buck-Hibbert System, close to a massive black whole. There is a dense nebula close by, we could probably have a little peak without being noticed."

Riekan grinned. "Set course and tell Mon Mothma that I would like to have a chat with her."

Please review :)


	12. The Empire

Victoria looked over to the two girls on the far end of the hanger-bay. They were unloading a large container and laughed heartily and Victoria felt jealous. She had no friends and there had never been an occasion where she could have made some. They were always on the run, always on the Falcon. She had no home, no roots. Yes, technically she knew that her mother had grown up on Alderaan, but that planet did no longer exist and she knew that her father had grown up on Csilla, but she had never been there, as it was far beyond known space - somewhere in the Unknown Regions. She actually didn't know where it was and even if she did, she wasn't sure if she could ever truly call that her "home-planet". She had grown up in a mostly human society, with humans as her family and she was half human - she "felt" human for all it was worth. So no, Csilla could never be her home. The closest thing to home was her room on the Falcon and her books. Ever since she could remember she had loved to read. It was her way to escape reality into a different world, a world with adventures and friendship. A good read could make a smile for a whole day, interaction with others, however, had always been... difficult. As soon as people had realised who her parents were, the conversation usually became weird. She was suddenly "the daughter of", not just "Victoria". People expected certain things of her, most of which were plain laughable. She would probably never achieve anything noteworthy. She was just a normal girl. A mix of her parents' DNA, but not some kind of clone of them. She had also had a different upbringing and a different history and only Force knew how this DNA lottery worked anyway. Still, it was a huge shadow to live up to. And whenever she had talked to new people, her mother had told her not to trust strangers, to be careful. Thus, being the daughter of famous, or infamous, parents hadn't helped to make friends and now it had become difficult for her.

Here she was, Victoria Organa, with no friends, no home and a family that was falling apart. Alone, with no goals or aim in life, feeling miserable. Great. Victoria sighed.

Maybe her father was right. Maybe she should stop lamenting and do something about it. The girls looked her age and friendly enough. She could pretend that the forklifting droid was defect and ask for their help, but trying to establish a friendship upon a lie was probably not the best idea. Furthermore, the two girls looked like they had been friends for years. How could she just go over and hope to befriend them? It wouldn't work. It was too late for that.

But suddenly, and she did not really know where the thought came from, there was this strange feeling that it was ok to not be a normal teenager. She would never be "normal" and that was ok. Normal people seldom achieved greatness – most of them were born to be forgotten.

PPP

General Carlist Rieekan stared out of the view screen. Nothing. How could there be nothing if the com-signal had led them here? He looked back on the ship's sensors. Again - Nothing.

Riekann shock his head, turned around and was already halfway to the ready-room when he heard a sudden out-cry.

"WOW!", "God heavens!" "I don't believe this."

What the hell was going on? When Riekaan turned back to the view screen, he saw it. Two huge star destroyers right in front of them. The Chimera and the Revenge were suddenly in so close proximity that it made his stomach cringe. And to make things worse the Revenge seemed to be in attack mode.

"They have a bloody cloaking device." Someone whispered from the other side of the bridge. Yes, a cloaking device. This was like a nightmare come true. Riekann shuddered when he thought about all the terrible things the Empire was capable of doing with a working cloaking device.

"Status report" he yelled over to the science officer.

"The cloaking device is working. However, they seem to have problems keeping up their deflector shields while using it. Looks like the cloaking device using up too much energy."

At least that was something.

Mardine looked over to Akbar. "I've heard rumours about this, but I never thought they would be able to pull it off." Creating a cloaking device was high science. They not only had to bend the light surrounding the ship to make it appear invisible to the naked eye, they also had to fool the enemy's sensors. That was not something that was created over night.

"Well, looks like they did pull it off." Crix Madine said, coming over to Riekan. "But what are they doing here?"

"Don't know. Maybe they are practising." He pointed to a strategic holopad. "Here. Imagine the Revenge is simulating an attack on the Chimera, while pushing it towards the black hole and the Chimera somehow tries to use its cloaking device to escape." He leaned over. "Or they are trying to the use the black hole's energy to recharge…Or they just want to test it for problems and weaknesses? Actually I'm not sure what's going on here. But whatever it is, I don't like it."

PPP

Leia stared motionless at Mon Mothma. At first she had thought that Mothma had ask her to come over to the Calamarian Cruiser to have a chat with the Alliance's High Command to discuss her "illness" and her current neglect of duty, but this was worse. A part of her still refused to believe it. Apparently they had located Thrawn's flagship, the Chimera and the Revenge. Alone and unprepared. Surely something was wrong. He probably already knew about their presence and planned their destruction instead – which was equally terrifying Leia had to admit. Space was huge and she had never really thought that it would come to an actual confrontation between the two of them, fighting on opposite sides. But the situation had occurred nonetheless.

Fighting Thrawn. Killing Thrawn? The thought hurt. Leia remembered her old friend Winter. Winter had told her about a theory once, the theory of the "Kryptonite-Persons".

According to this theory, everyone has his or her "Kryptonite-Person". These people are our weaknesses. Our "kryptonite". They will always be a part of us, no matter how long we haven't seen them, and when we do see them again, we will fall for them again, we just can't help it. They broke our hearts, however there will always be a pain in our chest, whenever we hear their names because the memory is so terrible, or so terribly beautiful. We will always cling to those persons, no matter how long or how short we have known them and we would do everything for them, no matter how happy or content we are at the moment. Friends, family, job – we would risk it all. If the doorbell rang and our "Kryptonite-Person" would stand in font of us, we would forget everything that person has done to us and we would open the door. And then we would do something stupid, like leaving with them, our "Kryptonite-Persons", leaving everything behind, to go to that special place, like it had once been planned - even if it had only been in our minds. Leia's "kryptonite-Person" was Thrawn. The last couple of weeks had taught her that. She could feel the sting in her heart whenever she heard his name. She could literally feel her anxiety when he was around and she could still feel her heartbeat whenever she called his number. "Kryptonite-Persons" are dangerous. They make us do things that we did not know we were capable of and often we have problems recognising ourselves afterwards. There were hundreds of moments with him in which Leia had not been herself. Or maybe she had – because "Kryptonite" is not a bad per se, otherwise we would not cling to those people so much. "Kryptonite" is also terribly good. We feel more then, than we ever did before. A week can match a life. Though, sometimes we cannot handle it. It's "kryptonite" after all - and you cannot heal from "kryptonite". It will never go away. (This paragraph was inspired by Jana Seelig's short story "Kryponitmenschen").

Leia sighed. Yes, it had to be "kryptonite". She had lost the ability to see him for what he really was years ago. Grandadmiral Thrawn was an Imperial Officer who was known for his cold ruthlessness and his manipulation skills. He had sworn an oath of loyalty to the Emperor and in accordance to that, he had burned cities to the ground, entire armies had died within the flames of his command, he had slaughtered and tormented millions, had marched into and violently conquered new territories and had brought innumerable planets under painful Imperial rule. His name alone evoked terror and fear throughout most parts of the galaxy. How in the name of the galaxy could she love such a man? Had she lost her mind? She knew that he would crush the Rebellion, if he ever got the chance. She knew that he did not love her, that she had not meant more to him than any other woman. He might love his daughter, but not her. She was certainly not his "kryptonite". And she hated him for it. Yes, she loved him and she hated him. But did she hate him enough to watch him die? Could she bear it? Could she emerge from that and still be herself?

"General?"

Leia looked up, realizing that she had been lost in thoughts.

"Your verdict on the matter?"

"I agree that we cannot allow the Empire to have such an advantage, but I cannot be part of this. I am too involved to be trusted. Just don't tell me - anything. " Leia got up.

"And thank you for trusting me."

**PP**

The Captain's Ready Room

19.00

ISD Chimera

Gilad Pellaeon stroke absentmindedly over his grey moustache as he glanced over the last reports. "This does not look too good. Any idea where the problem lies?"

Lieutenant Lyste slid involuntary forward on his chair. "Ehm, yes, Sir. It's the power supply. The cloaking device is just too much for our system. We could try with stygium crfystals instead, I guess."

Commander Schraad laughed drily. "Yeah that might work, but a Star Destroyer is not a corvette, Lieutenant, and Tarkin's precious toy was ridiculously expensive."

Lieutenant Lyste became quiet and looked down on his glass of Purple Wine, which was obviously not to his taste. Poor boy, Pellaeon thought, he was not only from some Wild Space planet, but he was also too shy and too submissive for his own good, but who could blame him? After the whole Kallus thing, he would probably never be more than a Lieutenant.

Schraad was from Darvannis, also a backwater planet. Sandy and under Hutt control, like so many of those planets, but the young officer certainly did not suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Though her manners left something to be desired. But then again what did he expect? After all, he was the only one with a "civilized" background. Born on Corellia, raised on Coruscant and proud of it. However, after years of serving under Thrawn's command, he had learned not to judge a book by its cover. Thrawn himself was the best example for that and would always be a mystery to him. If he hadn't known any better, he would never have thought his origin lay way back in the Unknown Regions. He appeared just too cultivated for that. But every now and then, there were moments when it showed that he came from a completely different culture. Maybe tonight would be such an occasion. Pellaeon smiled inwardly. He was probably just as curious as the rest of them.

"She's late. Maybe we should start without her." Schraad pinned a streak of thick, red hair back up again and grimaced. Her hair was a disaster and simply refused to stay where it was supposed to be. Then she looked at the food. This was really good. The head of catering, Mr. Stevens, did a good job with the ship's cantina, but down there food was more or less just a balanced and healthy choice for soldiers and not the culinary masterpiece that lay right before her. There was some kind of baked fish in lemon cream sauce with rice, Bantha steak with potatoes and sweetweet, vegetables from all kinds of planets, and last but not least, Roast Galma and ice-cream. Schraad couldn't remember the last time she had had ice-cream, but she certainly wouldn't miss out on this opportunity. Well, she wanted to loose weight, correction - she HAD to loose weight. Every since her academy days the uniform had gotten a little bigger and once she had cross the magical thirty years barrier, her metabolism just wasn't the same anymore. It felt like she gained weight just by looking at food. She wasn't fat, but there where certainly some love handles that she could very well live without. Schraad looked around and felt slightly jealous. How did men do it? Alright, the Captain was a little chubby, but at his age that was to be expected, Lyste was probably just a little older than her, but looked fit and Thrawn – well, guessing the age of aliens was difficult - but to her that man didn't age. Well, there were some streaks of pale blue hair at the sides in his otherwise black hair, probably the equivalent of the human grey, but Sith he was still a picture of a man. Half of the female crew had a secret crush on him. He was powerful, intelligent, cultivated and good looking. Who could possibly find that attractive? She, however, was not following that line of thought. Stupid girls.

Suddenly the door opened and an older, tall Chiss woman, dressed completely in white, entered the room. The two Chiss guards in black uniform that had accompanied her remained outside and joined the pair of stormtroopers that were already guarding the door.

"May I introduce Admiral Ar'alani from the Chiss Defense Force." The woman nodded. "Admiral, these here are the senior officers, which are in charge of testing the cloaking devise: Lieutenant Lyste, Commander Schraad and naturally my second in command, Captain Pellaeon."

"It is an honour, Admiral." Pellaeon said and the other men nodded in agreement, then Ar'alani looked directly at Thrawn. "In the name of all who serve the Chiss, I greet you, Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Galactic Empire." Her basic was good, but there was still a tick, foreign accent that Pellaeon couldn't place. Thrawn must have worked hard to get rid of it.

"Thank you and welcome on board the Chimera." Thrawn answered politely, however Ar'alani seemed to be a bit startled by his answer, but carried on none the less. "Do you guarantee my safety, and the safety of my crew?"

"I do. Please, have a seat." Ar'alani nodded and sat down at the only empty seat, right opposite of Pellaeon. "Wine?" He offered, smiling broadly.

Her red eyes were fixed on the bottled. "Is that an alcoholic substance?" She asked suspiciously.

"It is." Pellaeon said.

"Then, I have to decline your offer." Pellaeon then reached for the water bottle, which she accepted gladly. "Thank you."

Ara'lani's eyes found Thrawn's wine glass. "I am somewhat surprised by Imperial naval regulations." She was certainly not shy about her concerns when it came to alcohol on duty.

"It is not strong and rather pleasing." Pellaeon explained. "It is also some kind of human custom to drink wine while having dinner, I guess. But assure you, it will not compromise our work."

"I will have to take your word for that." She certainly was a long way from Csilla.

There was an uncomfortable silence and unsurprisingly it was Commander Schraad, who broke it with a smile. "Well, then let's start. Shall we?"

Lyste and Schraad were the first to fill their plates with Stake, while Pellaeon and Thrawn took the Fish. Much to Pellaeon's delight he saw Ar'alani copying Thrawn. Apparently, she had no idea what she was eating and had decided that trusting the only other present member of her species was the most logical thing to do.

"I am aware of your problems and talked to my crew. If needed I could send two engineers and a scientist tomorrow. They are quite capable."

Lyste looked less then pleased, but remained quiet.

"I am sure we can handle it." Pellaeon said. "We just need some more information about the device. It is too energy consuming for our systems. Invisibility, but no shields is not an option."

Aralani took another bite of her fish. "Agreed. But personal assistance is more efficient than holo-conferences."

"Maybe. But we did well so far, would you not agree?"

Ar'alani raised an eyebrow. "Let us be blunt about this. You took our cloaking device, but refuse to let us in the engine room." Nobody said a word and Ar'alani then looked over to Thrawn, who seemed to enjoy this little scene.

"I thought you wanted our help."

"And so we do. Almost as much as you want to see our engines and the hyper-drive generator. Well, we gladly accept your help, but there will be limited access, of course, and everything that slices into the ship's main board goes over my table first." Ar'alani nodded.

"Acceptable."

The rest of the conversation consisted of small-talk. Mostly between the Imperials.

"Was the meal to your liking, Admiral?" Pellaeon enquired.

"It was high in protein, which is good." Pellaeon looked a bit confused. Interesting answer. For a second he thought he had seen a smile on Thrawn's face.

Ar'anali had noticed too and cleared her thought.

"You have changed."

"I would be surprised if I had not."

Pellaeon looked at the female Chiss. "You know the Grand Admiral?"

The female Chiss looked right back at Pellaeon. "Do I know the Grand Admiral?" She smiled faintly. "He was a commander in my fleet for a couple years. He was nothing but trouble." Ar'alani could see the curiosity in the others eyes and found some pleasure in it. After all the things Thrawn had put her through it was only fair to have some fun at his expanse.

"Really?" Pellaeon asked hoping for more information about his mysterious superior, though he was not sure how far he could go before Thrawn would put him into an escape pot and then have it blown into pieces. Usually, Thrawn was far more relaxed then most in High Command and Pellaeon had learned to appreciate and utilize that, but then again he was usually not prying into the Grand Admiral's past.

"Commander Thrawn had a tendency of interpreting Chiss law rather then following it. The fact that his older brother, an ambitious young politician at the time, was cleaning up after him, did not help to restrain his ego."

Thrawn took another sip, simply letting her carry on.

"A brilliant tactician with a glorious future ahead – but rather pretentious; and when I thought that it could not get worse, Commander Thrawn made first contact with humans – another very troublesome chapter. In the end he partially begged for court-martial." Ar'alani shock her head. "I never understood that. You could have gone far."

Thrawn rolled the Glass in his large hands. "I imagine most people could not, but it was the right thing to do."

"Is it very different, Sir? I mean working for the Empire?" Lieutenant Lyste could barely understand where this sudden burst of confidence had come from.

"Sometimes I feel like the Chiss fleet is a cuddle-cruise compared to the Imperial war machine." He looked at Ar'alani. "I hope you take no offense. Humans also have a hard time controlling their emotions. It needs some getting used to. But the older I get, the more I realize that we have far more in common than which divides us. In fact, I do believe that we share common ancestry."

That would not go down well on Csilla, Ar'alani thought. But she was not surprised by this. She had heard a rumour that Thrawn had a child with a human female. If that was true, common ancestry was likely, as there were almost no alien species with which natural interbreeding was possible. It would be interesting to see this crossbreed. But something told her that this no subjects for today's meeting. She had to leave anyway. Then she stood up, thanked her hosts and left.

"Well, if that wasn't enlightening." Schraad grinned. Tomorrow the whole ship would know about the pretentious Commander Thrawn.

**PP**

TWO DAYS LATER

ISD CHIMERA

"You look terrible, Commander." Captain Pellaeon took a chair from a neighbouring table and sat down opposite of Schraad.

"I bet I do. These Chiss are driving me crazy, Sir. Sorry, for being so blunt." Pellaeon looked over his shoulder to the bar in the Officer's lounge.

"I am off duty, Commander. So do not worry - and they are a bit stiff and…. different."

The lounge was full and there was cheerful chatter and laughter everywhere. This was probably the nicest place on every Star Destroyer. It was 21.00 standard time, the lights were dimmed and there was a small flickering light-ball on each table, creating a nice and cosy atmosphere.

"Are they still serving food?"

Schraad nodded and looked into her drink. "Yeah, but only the small things. Finger food and stuff."

"That is alright." Pellaeon got up. "Anything for you?" Schraad shock her head. "Nope. I'm fine. Thanks."

Kristina looked down to her drink again. Great, sitting next to the Captain! Off-duty or not, now she could not get drunk anymore. Blast you, Pellaeon!

He came back with a modern looking food stand with several levels of finger food and sauces and a beer.

"I hope you do not mind my intrusion." Couldn't you have thought of that before sitting down?

"Not at all, Captain." Schraad smiled broadly.

"You can call me Galid tonight if you want to." Kristina shock her head again.

"That would be weird, Captain." And I know that you have a history when it comes to women and booze. I don't believe what I'm thinking! Force! I'm drunk. "But I better warn you, Captain. I'm already half drunk. I can feel it. I might not be able to hold my tongue."

Pellaeon chuckled. "I have been there, Schraad. Do not worry." He started with the food and looked through the big viewport. There were three ships clearly visible. A small, but heavily armed ship of some famous art company he did not care for, that might very well earn a small fortune this moment, if the ever growing collection of the Admiral was any indication, and a huge Chiss ship and the Revenge further back, patrolling the nebula. Not that it mattered, that thing was massive, but the Admiral had insisted.

"How far is the hyper-drive?"

"Don't ask." Kristina rolled her eyes. "It's a nightmare! A thousand recalibrations and adjustments and no kriffing sign of improvement. I think we should just forget about the whole thing!" She took another sip. "And I don't trust the Chiss. I know it sounds crazy, but they make my skin crawl. Especially the tall one." She shock her head and drank another large gulp. "They are not all as smart as the boss though." She played with the ice at the bottom of the drink. "Stupid really, to think that they would all be like the Grand Admiral."

"That's true, but that's what humans do. I was under the same misconception when I went to Csilla back then. They are just as different as humans are and I for one am quite happy with the Chiss we have."

Schraad nodded. "Yeah. But right now I wouldn't mind having an engineer genius around. Never mind the skin colour. They are always reading out data and restart the motor circuit of the cloaking device, fail with synchronising and then run the circuit diagnostics AGAIN, which is all good and well because we do not wish to put too much strain on the antimatter containment field of the hyperdrive, BUT" Kristina put her hands up in a religious looking gesture. "But why, why do they never really try to re-establish the…." Commander Schraad jumped up. "Bloody Sith!" She looked down to Pellaeon. "Am afraid you'll have to finish your dinner alone, Sir." She almost ran away and then called over her shoulder: "Tell the waitress I'll pay tomorrow!"

Commander Schraad ran through the corridors, nervously tapped with her foot on the floor during the turbo-lift ride and then actually slid down the last ladders to the cloaking device. Hastily she pulled the cable off the device, entered a code and then detached a huge box from it, white steam coming from the inside. Kristina coughed and quickly gripped a gas mask from the wall. Better. Then she put on a flashlight head-band and a pair of gloves and crawled into the largest connection tube. The light was bad, but she knew where to look and her hands carefully checked the walls. There! That was not supposed to be there! Commander Schraad ripped it off the wall and crawled back out. She practically ripped the gas mask off her face and stared at the small object in her hands.

"Gotcha!"

**PP**

Thrawn barely looked at her while she got dressed and read through the security reports.

The latest one by Commander Schraad was particularly interesting. The sneaky bastards had actually planted a data recording device in the hyperdrive connection tube. Well, maybe he could use that to teach them a lesson.

Then, apparently, Elisabeth had finished at looked at him, rather shyly. How could a woman with a body to die for be so insecure? Maybe it was her youth. Sith, she was 24, and with that just eight years older than his daughter.

„Ermm, I think I'll better go now. Do you want me to take the `Light of Naboo´ to Max?" Maximilian Dorovinsky was a well-known and highly respectable conservator on Imperial City. He had worked with him before and he would indeed bring the piece to him, but by a different courier.

„That will not be necessary." He looked back down at the report. „You may leave now."

The young woman gaped at him for a second, obviously startled by his reaction, and then cleared her throat when she finally understood.

„I see. Farewell, Admiral. It was a pleasure working with you." Oh and what a pleasure it had been. He had fucked her twice last night. Hard. He looked her over once more and smiled.

„Likewise." Thrawn nodded briefly and she left.

He shock his head. He rarely had a woman stay over and her reaction had reminded him why.

**PP**

War Room

ISD Chimera

10.30

Captain Pellaeon placed a small, metallic device on the table and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Six people, three of each fraction, were seated around on oval table at the centre. Grand Admiral Thrawn, Captain Pellaeon and Commander Schraad on the one side and Admiral Ar'alani and her two Chiss engineers Tlas'nuak'bramu and

And Krig'suto'louneng on the other.

„Commander Schraad, would you please enlighten us about this object?" Thrawn asked politely.

The redheaded female stood up and went over to a projection board that was situated at one of the two pointier ends of the table. She switched on the board and the 3D-schematics of the cloaking device appeared; as well as a part of their hyperdrive tubes, as they were connected to the same power supply.

„My men found this here." The part of the schematic of the largest tube was magnified and one point was marked in red. She went over to the table, reached for the metallic object and held it up for everyone to see.

„I did the analysis myself. This here is of Chiss origin, the Empire does not use the combination of this particular alloys. After a detailed inspection, I was able to access the data chip. It has collected information about the hyperdrive for the last couple of days." Schraad put the device back on the table.

Thrawn brought his fingers together on the shiny, black table and glared at Ar'alani. „I thought I had made it clear that the hyperdrive is off limits."

Ar'alani looked back at him with a plain face that betrayed nothing of her thoughts and emotions.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn. I am saddened to hear of this. If your accusation is true, I do assure you that I knew nothing of this disturbing act."

"Who reattached the cloaking device after recalibration, Commander Schraad?" Thrawn inquired flatly.

Schraad checked her datapad. "That would have been Suto, Sir." She did not even try to pronounce the long version of the traitor's name.

Ara'lani lifted an eyebrow in surprise and then looked at Suto and then back to Thrawn.

"Grand Admiral, Krig'suto'louneng has been under my command for over three years and I do consider him a trustworthy engineer and crewman. Might you be mistaken at this?"

Thrawn's cold gaze went over to the silent Chiss.

"Am I mistaken, Krig'suto'louneng?" The young Chiss was clearly uncomfortable and at least half a minute of silence followed.

"I thought so." Thrawn eyed Ar'alani. "I want to him to be removed from this meeting."

She hesitated for a second and then ordered her soldiers to accompany Suto outside and to wait for further instructions.

"By Ereshki, I swear, I did not know of this."

"Your Gods mean nothing to me and words are just words." The Chiss Admiral looked startled. Pellaeon eyed the women carefully. Thrawn had told him about some of the Chiss concepts like honour, religion, family and defence-only ethics and traditions that sounded rather anachronistic in view of their technical advancement. According to Thrawn, it was hard for a Chiss to think outside these categories. Not that they were not capable of doing so, but society demanded it and divergence was looked down upon.

"I guess I should not be surprised. Humanity is rather barbaric." The Chiss Admiral said finally.

"It was your man who broke the agreement, Admiral. The Empire compensated the Chiss as was promised."

The Chiss woman looked down in acknowledgment. "That is correct, Grand Admiral. I will send someone else to replace ensign Krig'suto'louneng."

"Commander Schraad, will choose the next engineer." Thrawn then declared, matter-of-factly.

"These are my men." Ar'alani countered sharply.

"And this is my ship and my engine room….. See it as a sign of reconciliation."

The Chiss woman glared at him. "And what if I refuse?"

"If we cannot be friends, we will be enemies." There was a pregnant pause. "And then I will eradicate you."

Ar'alani's eyes met his. There was no way she could out-gun two Star Destroyers and the Chiss Ascendancy was officially under Imperial protection now. Ar'alani swallowed. She might have thought it an empty threat, but after the Outbound Flight she had come to fear Commander Thrawn. Challenging Grand Admiral Thrawn suddenly sounded like a very bad idea.

"You shall have a list of possible candidates and their curriculum vitae within the hour."

"Good."

**PP**

The Imperials were the first to leave the room. When Thrawn passed Krig'suto'louneng, there was an unmistakable look of defiance in the man's eyes. At first he did not seem to care, but close to the dor Thrawn suddenly stopped. He turned around slowly and eyed the other Chiss, who returned the icy stare in kind. Pellaeon paused at the door and watched his superior walking back towards the Chiss, in what looked like an attempt to start a conversation, but suddenly, in such a quick motion that it was almost to fast to see, he cut the other man's throat. Suto starred at him, for a moment before he understood what had happened. Then he gripped his throat, in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, whilst, with every heartbeat, more and more red blood ran down his neck, onto his black uniform. A gargling, unholy sound came from his mouth, as he fell to his knees and then, finally, died on the grey metal floor. A rare silence filled the otherwise so busy corridor; everyone was looking at the Grand Admiral. The two Chiss soldiers who had guarded Suto held him at gunpoint, as he casually kneeled down and cleaned his old fashioned metal knife on the corpse's uniform. With a silence gesture Ar'alani ordered her men to lower the weapons and Thrawn got back up and put the knife back into a hidden uniform shaft underneath his left forearm.

He looked over to Admiral Ar'alani. "Take this with you when you leave."

Then he returned to Pellaeon and Schraad who were still waiting in the doorway.

**PP**

Commander Schraad looked particularly white when the group entered the turbo-lift at the end of the corridor and left the lift at the very first opportunity. When the door shut behind her, and the two men were alone, Captain Pellaeon finally found the courage to confront Thrawn.

"I know I am crossing a line here, but – Wh…" He struggled for words. He had worked with the Chiss for years now and that scene down there had been totally out of character for him. Well, Pellaeon remembered an occasion when Thrawn had shot a man on the bridge a couple of years ago, but that one had been well deserved. But in general, Thrawn was not Lord Vader and he very rarely took the liberties some Imperial War Lords were infamous for. So why had he done it? There had been no reason for it. At least not one obvious to him. The traitor had been found and there surely would have been some kind of punishment by the Chiss Ascendancy, so … "Why did you do ´that´?"

Thrawn saw a small strain of blood on the lower part of his jacket and ran a thump over it. He sighed.

"A necessary deed, Captain." He looked back to Pellaeon. "The Chiss are a very stubborn and proud people. They live by the grace of his majesty, Emperor Palatine, now – they just do not believe it yet. This will be known and will weaken the firm grip of the Aristoca. Besides, they are on my ship now and I wanted it to be known that I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour."

"Am I correct in the assumption that public execution is not allowed in the Chiss Defence Force?" Pellaeon asked, recalling the other men's reaction, which by Chiss standards could only be described as pure horror.

"Indeed. Though, I like to think that they would have been far less relaxed if they had served during my time in the fleet – however, they are too young for that."

"After this, I am sure your name will be remembered for years to come."

Thrawn flashed the Captain a hint of a smile. "Probably."

TBC & Please review


	13. The lawsuit

A/N: I added this chapter a long time ago at ff.net, but forgot to do it here. But since I'm more or less moving to AO3, I thought it best to finally upload the chapter here as well. 

*****The lawsuit*****

Mr Merkel sat behind his wooden desk, signing some papers with a small silver pen. His hair was grey and short and his suit was back and looked expensive. He looked up when his secretary brought in the next customer, which was much younger than his usual clients. A girl with a long colourful scarf around her neck, with black hair and blueish skin. She was fifteen or sixteen, he guessed. This could be interesting.

He rose and held out his hand.

"Hello."

"Hello." She shook his hand and he mentioned her to sit down.

"What can I do for you?"

The girl looked at him and smiled. "Well, I need an attorney."

"I guessed as much. What is your problem then, young lady?"

"It's my mother." She explained. "I want her to lose the right of custody."

Well, if that wasn't something new. A child suing her mother. It sounded ridiculous at first, but there had been stranger cases lately. The galaxy seemed to go mad.

"And what exactly is the problem?" He inquired.

"I do not agree with my current living arrangement and I fully intend to change it. As I am not off-age yet, I figured this to be my only chance to get what I want."

Mr Merkel sat back in his chair and sighed. He liked this girl, but to him this didn't sound like a case at all.

"I see. Getting along with one's parents isn't always easy, but domestic problems during puberty are quite common and usually solved without the aid of an attorney. Besides, legal advise in general, and mine in particular, might prove to be a bit too expensive for someone your age."

The girl smiled. "I see your point, but let me assure you that your current attitude might prove to be bad for business."

He raised an eye-brow and she gave him a curious look. He couldn't describe this particular look, but he had seen it a couple of times before and it always meant one thing: A fantastic case.

The girl smiled. "My name is Victoria Organa, I'm the daughter of Grandadmiral Thrawn and Leia Organa-Solo and I want my mother to lose custody."

***

A Lawsuit. Thrawn sighed and reached for the data-pad. A lawsuit surely was nothing new, sometimes people or whole planets filed masse complaints against the Empire for crimes against humanity, war crimes, mental strain, economic domination or simply for financial reasons. Those things, however, rarely required his attention and he genuinely had no idea why this lawyer, he checked the data-pad again, Mr Merkel, had asked for a personal holocom meeting. The red flickering light of his desk's holocom station indicated that a secure connection had been established. Well, about time to find out.

A bluish holo of a middle-aged human suddenly appeared in front of the desk. It was a little pink and white around the edges and flickered every now and then due to problems in the far distance communication relay station.

"Grand Admiral, it is an honor to talk to you, Sir." The man smiled.

"Mr Merkel." Thrawn nodded slightly. "Please enlighten me about this law-suit that apparently needs my involvement."

Merkel cleared his throat. "I am hereby representing my client, Victoria Organa, who has hired me to fight on her behalf in a custody suit."

Victoria got a lawyer? Was this a joke? Or a weird dream perhaps? Though he rarely dreamed and most of the time fell asleep as soon as he hit the mattress. He closed his eyes for a second.

"My daughter 'hired' you?" He asked, just to make sure.

"Yes, Sir. She wants a change of location and responsibility." No. This was no dream. Thrawn exhaled audibly. This daughter of his would be the end of him one day. What in the name of the force could have persuaded her to go to a lawyer? And then it dawned on him. It had been him. He had told her to stop lamenting and do something about her situation. Well, this was not what he had meant. Why couldn't she find something to do or make friends and wait until she was 18? No, she had hired a lawyer!

"I am a little confused, Mr Merkel, but how is my teenage daughter able to finance this endeavor?"

Merkel smiled. "Since she is not off age yet and does not have a regular income, her legal guardians have to pay for her juristic representation, of course."

Thrawn almost laughed. "Are you telling me that I am paying you to fight a lawsuit against me and my child's mother?"

"Imperial jurisdiction would be highly unfair if it would refuse help to those who are not yet in control of their lives and live in unfavorable situations."

"But I am right in the assumption that Imperial jurisdiction only helps those with parents that can pay for this legal representation?"

Merkel bowed slightly, in a submissive and apologizing gesture. "I do have to earn my living, like all of us."

This still felt like a practical joke. He really had to talk to the Emperor about certain laws. He could understand that living in a permanent hideout was unpleasant for a teenager, but this was going too far.

"So what is next? My situation is not suitable for raising a teenage girl. She cannot live with me. Every sane being in the galaxy can see that."

Merkel put a data-crystal on his side into a docking station.

"Your daughter disagrees and has laid out her claims and suggestions in the file I am sending you right now."

"This is ridiculous. As a parent there must be a way to stop this."

Thrawn looked over the documents and files that appeared on his screen. They all looked real and official.

"What can I say? You have a very resourceful daughter, Grand Admiral. I would suggest you talk to her or get an attorney yourself."

"Thank you, Mr Merkel."

The end (so far)

Hope you liked it! :)

I'm not sure if I'll ever finish this story.... It took years so far and my whole style changed.... 


	14. Careful what you wish for

A/N: I know I haven't updated in ages. Actually, I wanted to write another chapter for "Great Expectations", but then this chapter came to my mind. :)

***

"An updated version of the list you requested yesterday." Ar'alani said and handed him the Chiss equivalent of a datapad.  
"Thank you."  
It was almost strange hearing him talk in Cheunh again as he insisted to talk in Basic in the company of Humans. It was a beautiful language and it accentuated his dark, velvet voice even more.

"I dare say you made quite an impression, Thrawn." She was bold enough to call him by his core name in private. Then she had a look around.

The office was large and mostly held in grey, black and metallic silver. There were some pieces of art, some of them Chiss, but all in all, it was a cold, hard room and it fitted him perfectly. A part of her had honestly been shocked by Thrawn's brutality, even after Outbound Flight. Still, he had always been special. Bold and presumptuous. Even as a mere Commander he had considered himself her equal, if not more.

She studied him. He looked good and the years suited him well, as did authority. A small smiled appeared on her face. A man like that could only have been created by the rough ice glaciers of Csilla. Yes, their world was cruel and their history was one of brutal survival.

"Was your show of Human brutality really necessary?"  
"Seeing how little respect your men have for you, you should be thankful."  
She pursed her lips. True, that had come as a surprise. Maybe she had gone soft in age. Ar'alani looked at her reflection in one of the glass cabinets. Chiss aged differently to Humans and her age didn't show much yet, but the numbers were there. She was still what many men would consider beautiful, but every now and then she found a strain of grey hair among her black and then either ripped it out or carefully hid it underneath the rest.

Thrawn handed her a glass of water.  
"Thanks."

"How are things at home?"  
So, he did care. Sometimes she thought he had forgotten.  
"Your sister sends her regards. She has brought a house in Reuss and asked me to deliver an invitation."  
He nodded.  
"An invitation I shall gladly follow, next time I am on Csilla."  
Ar'alani casually studied him before carrying on.  
"She also said, she would like to meet her niece."  
He remained silent for a while and just studied her.  
"Thank you for delivering the message." He said finally - politely, but clearly closing the subject.  
Ar'alani smiled. "I've heard she is a crossbreed. Is that true?"  
She only saw him out of the corner of her eye, as he returned to his desk, but it was enough to notice his disapproval. He had changed. Or had she never really known him?

"You don't like the description."  
"No."  
"My apologies... Could I ... see her?"  
"Absolutely not." He said flatly.  
"Why? I have no intention of harming her. It is mere curiosity."  
"My daughter does not exist to satisfy anyone's curiosity."  
He was surprisingly protective and aggressive at the same time. Maybe it was his protectiveness that had drawn him to Humans, first to Ferasi and then to the rest of them. They seemed so weak... both in body and in spirit.  
"Is she more Chiss or more Human? If you don't mind me asking." She would not apologize for a second time.  
"More Human. She has very little of me."  
Ar'alani raised an eyebrow. Very little? The girl shared half of his DNA. What was the point of this?

"That must be very disappointing, maybe you chose the wrong mate." She said, choosing a more aggressive strategy.   
"Most clearly not." He said coldly.  
"I cannot pretend I ever understood your obsession with Human females."  
"The only thing you could not understand was that I preferred her to you."  
Ar'alani came towards his desk and put the glass down in front of her.  
"You put it very bluntly, but yes... I could not understand what you saw in Ferasi... She was so frail and naive. But the minute she crawled out of that piece of junk she had a spell on you. You lied to me, professionally. And you cheated on me, personally."  
He stood up and slowly cornered the desk, directly facing her, looking down at her.  
"We fucked. That hardly constitutes a relationship." Aggressive. Very aggressive. "So how could I cheat on you?" He smiled. "The rest, of course, is true."  
She liked it. Always had. He had always been aggressive, hard. He was six years her junior, but he had fucked her. Back then. The presumptuous Commander, who had thought himself superior to all of them. She had wanted to lecture him, to tell him off and then.... He had been terribly dominating and she, the supposedly stern Fleet Admiral, had yielded to him and it had been great. Quite possibly the best sex she had ever had. Not that she would tell him. She had been his superior, it had been wrong, but she had enjoyed it and she had always known that he would go far - surpassing her sooner or later. She held his gaze and smiled.

"I have heard Human females like it slow .... Is that true?"  
"Sometimes."  
"And you _enjoy_ that?" She asked clearly challenging him.  
He gave her a predatory smile "Sometimes."   
She reached out for him.  
"Maybe I should remind you of how things are done on Csilla."  
He grabbed her hand, pulled her around and pushed her over the desk, head first. Her position left no questions open. She had forgotten how strong he was and his male power excited her. She wasn't a soldier for nothing, kicked him and managed to free herself, but only for a second before he harshly pushed her back down again. He forced her legs apart and Ar'alani felt herself getting wet. Instinctively she reached out for the edges of the desk, but...why didn't he open her uniform? He still pressed her head down and the only thing she could see were some imperial documents and the lower part of a window.  
"I remember how things are done on Csilla, Admiral." He said slowly, pushed her down once more and then left.

What had just happened? Ar'alani still looked down at some files that were scattered all over the desk, breathing heavily. She swallowed and closed her eyes, fighting to control the emotions that were raging inside her. Then she slowly got back up and straightened her uniform, licking her lips.

"Well, you made that one clear."  
"Good. My private life, my family, is of no concern to you."  
"Yes."  
"And you are of no concern to me."  
"I understand.... Grand Admiral."

It was almost unbelievable what a man he had become. Dangerous, imperious, unpredictable. He could rule an Empire on his own. The galaxy was a dangerous place and they had banished him because he had not followed the rules. Now they had paid the price. It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. On the other hand, the man that was standing in front of her right now had been forged in more than one war and most of them had been fought outside Chiss space. He had become who he was because he had left them, not despite of them. Ar'alani sighed. When he had left the Chiss, she had been the one in power, now the tables had turned. She had noticed it but had somehow refused to believe it, until now.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Grand Admiral?"

"Just do your job and keep your men in line. Dismissed."

Yes, the tables had clearly turned.

***

"You are fortunate, I have time for this." He said while looking at his daughter. The transmission was surprisingly good considering the nebula's interferences.  
"I am not fortunate, I forced you to have time." Victoria said and believed every single word she said. Had he ever been like that? He might have. He would not have chosen this path, but more than once he had forced people to listen.

"I have no intention to go to court over this." He explained and carefully put the papers down. "Work is unprogressive at the moment, which is not good, but it provides me with some time to spare...I would like to talk to you in person to finish this once and for all. This cannot go on." He sighed.

"Where are you?"  
"Don't know. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere." Victoria looked out of her window.  
"There is a sun with three planets, the second one has two moons and the third has some asteroids around him. I can't see him now, but I saw him yesterday. There's also a black hole close by and we are surrounded by a thick nebula, which is jamming the HoloNet. Could be anywhere for all I know."

Thrawn felt his blood run cold. They were here. In a matter of nano-seconds, his mind put the pieces together. Victoria. Her call. It made perfect sense. The Rebels had traced it back and now they were here.  
He had made a grave mistake by giving her his com-number and he had made an even worse mistake by answering it, knowing full well that her encryption had not been save. It wasn't her fault, she hadn't known any better. It had been his. He had just answered it, by pure instinct. He remembered thinking that it might be important, that she might be in danger. She was his weakness. He had known that before, but now it was painfully obvious.  
Maybe she should leave after all.  
"I have a very good idea where you are." He said finally.  
"Pack your things. I shall pick you up shortly."

He closed the transmission and Victoria stared at a black screen.  
Would he really pick her up? And how?... He couldn't just... or would he really?...  
_Oh Force, what had she done?!_

TBC


	15. Departure

A/N: Another quick scene that just came into my mind. I could add more detail I guess, but I'm too lazy at the moment.

**Departure**

Nobody would ever tell her that the father of her child was a good man. She had known that before, but now their faces were grim, their mouths nothing more than thin lines and their eyes were full of hatred and - sometimes - fear.

There were stormtroopers and death troopers everywhere, securing hanger-bay one. Twenty minutes ago, their ship had been taken over. Everything had happened so quickly…. Two Star Destroyers and several Chiss ships had encircled them. They had come out of nowhere - making first use of their cloaking device. The Imperials hadn't even hailed them and immediatly had begun with the boarding.

Thrawn was a complex character. He was more than the Imperial Grand Admiral, the ruthless War Lord, but today was really the first time Leia saw him in that role. When the ramp of the heavy shuttle lowered itself to the grey floor, four black Death Troopers walked down in military precision and waited at its base. Then, slowly, the Grand Admiral himself, came down. Once he had reached the bottom, the Death Troopers formed a security-formation around him, then he walked towards their little group.

Mon Mothma swallowed hard, Rieekan and Mardine were nervously clutching their fists behind their backs, carefully watching the scene before them and only Akbar seemed to be his usual calm self, but maybe the Princess just was not able to read the alien. No one of them had any idea, what was going to happen and, against any logic, Leia felt guilty. None of this was her fault, but she could see their looks, filled with accusations or more often than not, contempt for the past she shared with the man that was likely to end their life now.

"Good afternoon." His voice was calm, velvet and precise, like always.  
"It would be a lot better if we wouldn't have to put up with you Imperial scum." Mardine hissed.  
"Yes, I am sure it would, but that is no reason to be impolite." Thrawn gave him a small smile.  
"Mon Mothma." He nodded towards the former senator, who mirrored his greeting.  
"Grand Admiral Thrawn, do you want me to show you the way to your daughter's quarters."  
"What makes you believe that she is the reason I am here?”  
"I doubt we would have this conversation if it wasn't for her."  
"Perhaps. I thank you for your offer, senator. However, I would prefer different guide." His eyes fixed on the Princess. "Leia?"  
She nodded silently and then stepped forward.  
"If you would follow me."

They said nothing for a while and Leia’s mind was on fire. He was taking her. This was not how it was supposed to be. Would she ever see her little girl again? Should she fight this? Thrawn had found out that they had planned to attack the Chimera, which in itself did not surprise her. In the last couple of days, the vastness of space had felt terrible small. Under different circumstances, they would all be dead now. She couldn’t really blame him for taking her. And it was not like Victoria would object…she hadn’t talked about anything except leaving in the last year. Still.... Her child in the clutches of the Empire? Victoria growing up as the legitimate heir of Grand Admiral Thrawn? It felt wrong. She was so young, so breakable. He didn’t know how to handle her. She needed more than a room. She still needed guidance, someone to talk to, a parent. Thrawn was a hard man, always working, always gone. How could this work?  
“How did you find us?” Leia asked finally, while they passed several doors.  
“You do not want to know the answer to that.”  
Leia looked down at the key card in her hand. What did he mean with that?….Had Victoria told him? Had she found out about Rieekan’s plan and had sold them? Leia briefly closed her eyes and nervously turned the key-card in her hand. Better not to know.  
“That’s it.”  
Thrawn looked at Leia. “Do you wish to come inside?”  
Leia folded her hands in front of her and looked aside, fighting back the tears. “I don’t think I could handle it. Tell her not to forget Gustav.”  
He nodded and then opened the door.

Victoria sat on her small grey bed, her back against the wall, hugging her legs with both arms.  
“I don’t believe you’re really here.” She said quietly.  
“I am….So this is where you spent most of your time?” He asked and looked around. Victoria nodded silently and watched him, while he inspected her bookshelf and looked at some photographs.  
“You like fantasy books?”  
“Yes.”  
He really knew nothing about her. Or far too little. He picked up another book and raised an eyebrow. “The Battle of Lothal.”  
“I was curious.”  
He put it back into the shelf, pulled her desk chair towards him and then sat down in front of the bed.  
“Have you packed your things?”  
Victoria put her right hand on a brown leather backpack. “Yes.”  
“That does not look sufficient for someone your age.”  
“I’ll take the laptop too.” She nodded over to her desk.  
He reached out for her backpack and opened it. Underwear, two sets of clothes, trainers, a pajama, a toothbrush, a wallet, a pencil case, and a diary.  
“What about the photographs?”  
“I don’t need them. I have photos on the laptop.”  
He stood up and chose one of the photos for her. “Take at least this with you.” It showed her with the twins, Leia and Han in front of a Christmas tree.  
“Your mother said you should not forget Gustav.”  
Victoria rolled her eyes. “I don’t need him.”  
“Who is Gustav?”  
She reached under her blanket and brought up a cuddly toy. A brown dog with long ears and black eyes that apparently had been in use for years. “I had him for as long as I can remember, but I’m not a child anymore.”  
Victoria looked up at her father.  
“You should definitely take Gustav with you.” He kneeled down and placed the dog in her lap. “You want to be strong and all grown up, but you are not. Not yet at least.” He got up again. “Things will be different from now on. You will need him. Maybe even now. You look sad.”  
“Dad….What will happen to them?”  
“Do not concern yourself with that.”  
Victoria jumped up and suddenly approached him.  
“But what happened is my fault! I never wanted them to get hurt! They are my friends! I don’t want them to die! Please don’t hurt them!” The Chiss looked silently at his daughter. She was so emotional. So human. So innocent. It would be hard to prepare her for life without crushing her soul. A task for which her mother was so much better equipped than he was.  
“Nobody is going to die. I promise.” The tension in her body left. “Thanks…I guess.”  
She put Gustav in her bag and reached for her laptop.  
“It feels strange to leave. I really want to, but it’s not without a grain of salt.”  
“It rarely is. Nothing in this life comes without a price.”

Leia was still waiting outside when the two of them left the room.  
“Do you have everything? Gustav?”  
“Yes.”  
Leia couldn’t stand it anymore. She rushed forwards and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. “I will miss you so very much.”  
“I’ll miss you too.”  
“Then don’t leave.” She pulled away a little to look into her daughter’s eyes. “Two more years, Victoria. Just two more years.”  
But girl shook her head. “I want to go, mum, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love you. Please…”  
Leia wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “I had to try. Once you have children of your own, you’ll understand why. I just cannot let go...It breaks my heart.”  
“I’m not dying. I’m just somewhere else.”  
“Yes, I know. I know. Be careful.”  
She looked at Thrawn. “And you take good care of her.”  
“I will, though it would be easier if I had help.”  
This was it. Their last chance. She still loved him. It would be so easy to go with him now. But she was a mother before she was a woman. Her children would always come first.  
“I would be a terrible mother if I would do that.”  
He nodded.  
“I understand.”

It felt like a part of her left with that shuttle. It hurt and Leia had to fight the tears once more. She was gone. For good.  
The crew of the smaller Rebel frigate that had accompanied them had been transferred to the larger cruiser before the frigate had been destroyed by the Chimera. Additionally, the Empire had taken some valuable prisoners. Mon Mothma and Admiral Akbar among then.  
Nobody had died, but Leia was sure that some of her companions wouldn’t mind killing her at the moment.

TBC


End file.
